New Research and Community Center Opens in the Khurkh-Khuiten Nature Reserve in Mongolia

The Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia held the grand opening ceremony for the new Khurkh Ecological Research and Community Center on August 19 in the Khurkh-Khuiten Nature Reserve in northeast Mongolia. The nature reserve is a world-renowned wetland site for its international importance and crane conservation in East Asia.

Historic Agreement Signed to Manage Vital Grasslands and Wetlands in the Khurk-Khuiten Nature Reserve of Mongolia

Ulan Bator, Mongolia – Following the designation of the Khurkh-Khuiten River Valleys in Northeast Mongolia as a National Nature Reserve by the Mongolian Government in May 2021, this week the Department of the Protected Areas Management at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Governor of Khentii Province, together with leaders of the four counties surrounding the Nature Reserve signed an agreement with the Wildlife Science and Conservation Center, a Mongolian non-government organization to coordinate management of the landmark reserve. Read more about the reserve here.

Cranes and Avian Influenza Update

The unprecedented loss of up to 8,000 Eurasian Cranes to an H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in Israel’s Hula Valley in December 2021 was a tragic example of the potential for this virus to sicken wild birds and now cranes in particular.

Cranes – Messenger of Peace Art Contest Creating Awareness in China

“Welcome Siberian Cranes to their wintering area in Kuixiang, Guangdong Province” by Long Baichuan If a picture is worth a thousand words, an image of a crane is visual poetry. Cranes are beautiful and elegant large wading birds found on every continent except South America and Antarctica. East Asia has the largest number of crane species in the world, with nine of the 15 species. Cranes also have special cultural significance in East Asia, especially in China, South Korea and Japan. However, cranes continue to face increasing threats, including climate change, habitat degradation and loss, human disturbance, and are at risk of population decline or even extinction in the wild.

Mongolia Protects Core Breeding Area for Declining White-naped Cranes

Year of the Cranes – Do you know all the crane species in East Asia?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In October 2019 our Vice President International Asia – Spike Millington introduced 2020 as the “Year of the Cranes” at the International Workshop on Crane Conservation in East Asia convened in Beijing, China. Read more about the workshop. The campaign aims to leverage public, political, and financial support for crane and wetland conservation.

Technology Upgrades Are for the Birds

Crane Conservation Department animal record-keeping system gets an upgrade With support from an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant, our Crane Conservation Department recently completed a data migration of their animal record-keeping system from an aging custom-built database to ZIMS – Zoological Information Management System, a web-based database program managed by Species360.

Crane Conservation Strategy – Now Available

Top Ten Facts About Crane Migration

We asked our staff for their top ten facts about crane migration to create this list – we hope you are inspired to learn more about the mystery of bird migration!