Western Flyway

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Introduction

The Western population of Siberian Cranes breeds in a wilderness area of the Tyumen Region, Russian Federation. The breeding area may extend into the Khanty-Mansisky Autonomous Region as well as Tyumen Region. Collaboration between authorities from these administrative territories is needed to conserve the entire wetland complex where Siberian Cranes breed. The territory is vast, but the Siberian Crane is familiar to local people and it is a sacred bird for native Khanty and Mancy tribes. The migration route extends from the breeding area in a southwesterly direction to the northern shore of the Caspian Sea. The most important stopover sites are at the Naurzum Nature Reserve (Kazakhstan) and the Volga River Delta (Astrakhan Nature Reserve, Russian Federation). Siberian Cranes have spent one to four weeks at these two sites in different years.

The migration continues south along the west side of the Caspian Sea over Dagestan (including the important stopover at the Agrakhan Federal Zakaznik in the Terek River estuary) and then on to Azerbaijan. The most significant stopover sites for Siberian Cranes in Azerbaijan include the Sharabad Cape (to the north from Baku), Shirvan Steppe National Park, and Kurinskaya Kosa in the Kyzyl-Agachsky Nature Reserve. Migration continues to the east along the south side of the Caspian Sea to flooded rice fields used for duck trapping near the town of Fereydoon Kenar (including the villages of Esbaran and Sorkh Rud) in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Siberian Cranes usually arrive on the wintering grounds in late October or early November and remain until late February or early March.

After the discovery of the wintering site in the Fereydoon Kenar area in 1978, the Siberian Crane population numbered between 9-14 birds until the late 1990s, and usually included one or two juveniles. Within the large trapping area (damgah) near Fereydoon Kenar, pairs defended large territories against the intrusion of other cranes. It appeared that the damgah could support only three to four pairs. The smaller damgahs did not support territorial pairs suggesting they might not be large enough for such a function. However, these damgahs were often used as feeding and roosting sites by non-territorial cranes, which were perhaps unpaired and sub-adult birds. The small damgahs are also used if the cranes are frightened from the large damgah.

Due to various factors such as the space demands of the cranes, mortality, illegal hunting, and habitat destruction, the population not only failed to increase above 9-14 birds, but then started to decline. A male marked with a PTT in early 1996 was only seen in Iran again during the winters of 1996-1997. One adult female marked on the breeding grounds in 1996 was seen on the wintering grounds for four years, one year in company with a marked juvenile. The population declined to 9 birds in 1996-1997 and 1997-1998 (2 marked birds), 7 in 1998-1999 (1 marked bird), 5 in 2000-2001 (1 marked bird), and just 3 adults during the winters of 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 (no marked birds) and 3 adults and one juvenile in 2003-2004. In 2004-2005 again 3 adults (a pair and a single bird) spent the winter at Fereydoon Kenar, but only two single cranes arrived in autumn of 2005. In autumn of 2006, again two single Siberian Cranes arrived on the wintering grounds, but one crane disappeared in January 2007. In 2007-2008 only one wild Siberian Crane wintered in Iran. Aerial surveys over other wetlands in Mazandaran Province in 2000 failed to find Siberian Cranes. Comprehensive ground surveys in both Gilan and Mazandaran Provinces in 2000 and in 2003 also failed to locate cranes, and annual midwinter waterbird counts across the South Caspian lowlands have not found any.

Evidence from West Siberia and from Astrakhan Nature Reserve in Russia and from Naurzum Nature Reserve in Kazakhstan continues to suggest the presence of alternative wintering grounds in Iran or elsewhere. The annual variation in the number of adult birds observed in Iran at that time is indicative of replenishment of the flock from an unknown source. The other cranes might have been forced to use other wetlands on the Caspian lowlands - wetlands where waterfowl are hunted, not trapped. Perhaps mortality of cranes outside the damgahs is partly responsible for the failure of the population to increase despite excellent productivity. The existence of additional birds is confirmed by the sighting of 4 Siberian Cranes in Astrakhan Nature Reserve almost one month after the arrival of two Siberian Cranes on wintering grounds in Iran in 2006. In addition, there have been annual observations of 2-7 Siberian Cranes during migration stopovers in Naurzum Nature Reserve in Kazakhstan.

Reducing mortality

The recovery of this population depends on reducing mortality during migration and on the wintering grounds, and enhancing numbers and genetic diversity.

Satellite telemetry units (i.e. Platform Terminal Transmitters or PTTs) placed on birds on both the wintering and breeding grounds have identified a route that overlaps significantly with the northern portion of the route of the Central population. To accurately locate the breeding grounds of the Iran birds, a wild male was captured and marked with a PTT and was tracked along its migration route to its breeding territory in the Uvat District of Tyumen Region (Russian Federation). According to PTT data, migration routes of both the Western and Central populations coincide between north Kazakhstan and Uvat District. This suggests that genetic mixing between the two populations occurs. Unmated birds from one population (i.e. juveniles, divorced birds, or birds that lose a mate) might pair with birds from the other population during migration or on summering areas of juveniles and non-breeding birds.

In North American cranes, males return to breed in natal areas. Females follow a male to these regions, which might be a great distance from the area where the female was raised. If this pattern occurs in Siberian Cranes, a female from one population might follow a male from the other population to his natal area, leading to genetic mixing of the two populations. It is hypothesized that Juvenile Siberian Cranes do not return to natal areas for several years until they reach sexual maturity. PTTs should be placed on a juvenile Siberian Crane on the wintering grounds to help identify the unknown juvenile summering areas.

Satellite tracking studies show that there is a possibility that Siberian Cranes, parent-reared by Eurasian Cranes on the breeding grounds of the Central population of Siberian Cranes, may spend the winter along the Iran-Afghanistan border. In addition, costume-reared Siberian Cranes released at Belozersky Federal Refuge (Zakaznik) in Armizon District in the south of Tyumen Region might join flocks of Eurasian Cranes and winter in Iran, although on 10-12 October 2007 there was an unconfirmed report of 10 Siberian Cranes with Eurasian Cranes in Bukhara region of Uzbekistan. Because Siberian Crane chicks probably require supplemental feeding during migration, it is important to provide supplemental food during the winter and to monitor the released cranes to determine if they can survive without supplemental feeding from the adults.
Flourishing colonies of captive Siberian Cranes at the Oka Nature Reserve in Russia and the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in the United States have provided juvenile cranes for experimental release programmes in Russia and Iran. A third major captive colony has recently been established at the Cracid and Crane Breeding and Conservation Centre (CBCC) in Belgium.

In the winter of 1996/97 two captive parent-reared birds imported from ICF were released at Fereydoon Kenar, Mazandaran Province. Due to permit and logistical problems, the birds did not arrive in Iran until late winter. The captive-reared cranes did not join the wild cranes and did not migrate. In the wintering 2002/03 and 2003/04, the release programme was resumed at the wintering site at Fereydoon Kenar. In 2002/03, three juvenile Siberian Cranes raised in Oka Crane Breeding Centre, were released in the Fereydoon Kenar area. One of the juveniles, a parent-reared female joined the wild single Siberian Crane and departed the wintering place together with it and a wild pair on 2 March 2003. This bird was marked with colour bands and PTT and was tracked along the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan and further to Dagestan, Russia. The PTT signal stopped moving in Dagestan on 4 March and PTT data continued to arrive from the same general area until 10 June 2003. Although ground searches and interviews of the local people were conducted, the fate of this bird is unknown. Two other costume-reared juveniles did not join the wild Siberian Cranes. They were caught and transferred to an aviary in the education centre of the Bujagh National Park, Islamic Republic of Iran.
In 2003/04, two parent-reared juvenile Siberian Cranes were released at Fereydoon Kenar. Within a few days they joined a wild single Siberian Crane. They started migration with this bird, departing the wintering place together. Unfortunately one of the two parent-reared juvenile Siberian Cranes, marked by PTT, landed in Gilan Province not far from the release site just after starting migration. It was captured and transferred to Bujagh National Park.

This Siberian Crane was kept in Bujagh National Park until November of 2005 when it was released at Fereydoon Kenar damgah two days after the arrival of two single wild Siberian cranes. The released bird joined one of them and started migration in the spring of 2006 together with the wild cranes. In January 2007, two captive-reared Siberian Cranes were transferred from Oka Crane Breeding Center to Iran. One of them was marked with a PTT and released at Fereydoon Kenar damgah. The released bird started migration together with the wild crane. Unfortunately PTT signals stopped just after the Siberian Cranes left their wintering grounds. The other captive-bred Siberian Crane was kept in an enclosure near the damgah and released in November 2007 just after the arrival of one wild Siberian Crane. At the end of February 2008, the wild and released birds started migration together.

The winter release experiments showed that it is necessary to release juvenile, parent-reared, captive-produced cranes in late autumn to allow longer social bonding time with the wild cranes. The provision of additional food during the whole winter period is also needed so that the released juveniles are in optimal physical condition for the spring migration. This recommendation is supported by the results of the successful project of human-led migration of Whooping Cranes in North America, where they are provided with food during the wintering season in Chassahowitzka Nature Park in Florida.

The main efforts to bolster this population have focused on releases of costume-reared Siberian Cranes on staging areas at Belozersky Wildlife Refuge (Zakaznik) in Armizon District in the south of Tyumen Region of the Russian Federation. During 1991–2003, 141 young Siberian Cranes were released and 89 birds of these birds joined wild Eurasian Cranes to initiate fall migration. There is not enough evidence to determine which Eurasian Cranes migrate to India and which migrate to the border of Iran and Afghanistan. At the Astrakhan Nature Reserve, four Siberian Cranes were released and three started migration with wild Siberian Cranes. Unfortunately, there have been very few recorded observations of these released Siberian Cranes.

Human-led migrations (i.e. using ultralight planes) with Sandhill and Whooping Cranes in North America have resulted in over 80% of the birds that were led south returning to their release area the following spring. Consequently, Russian scientists have been meeting with North American researchers to explore the possible application of these techniques to Siberian Crane releases. This research is more feasible along the entire migration route of the Western population, whereas it has been impossible to conduct such research using the Central population due to the situation in Afghanistan in recent years.

Habitat Protection

The sites known to be used by Siberian Cranes along the Western flyway migration route are subject to varying levels of threat from human activities. The breeding grounds in West Siberia are relatively remote and human pressures are generally low, mainly consisting of hunting, fishing and forest product collection. However, oil and gas exploration activities are beginning in the Uvat area, and the resulting human disturbance and potential impacts on habitats in the longer term are a significant threat.

Around the staging areas in the Armizon District of Tyumen Region (Russian Federation) and northern Kazakhstan, agricultural development was significant in the past. However, this has declined and there is a current window of opportunity to secure areas for conservation. Privatization of farmland in Armizon has resulted in increasing waterbird-crop damage conflicts. Disturbance from agricultural, hunting and fishing activities are the main issues at these sites at present. Disturbance associated with potential development of a hunting lodge is also a risk and negotiations are in progress to expand the protected area while locating hunting activities in areas that will not impact the migrating birds.

Many pressures affect the Volga Delta (including significant hydrological effects of the Volgograd Dam), industrial pollution, oil pollution, intensive agriculture, fires as well as sport hunting and fishing activities. Changes in the level of the Caspian Sea have had a profound impact on the delta and its birdlife. Overall, it can be concluded that current pressures on wetland habitats in the staging areas are relatively light, with the exception of the Volga Delta. The main threats to Siberian Cranes arise from hunting and other forms of human disturbance.

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, the conservation of the cranes at the main wintering site (Fereydoon Kenar) is a highly sensitive issue with local communities who use the area for commercial duck trapping and shooting. The support of these communities is essential for the future security of this flock, requiring close cooperation with government authorities. The Department of Environment (DoE) increased control of shooting in this area through the establishment of a new non-shooting area and is consulting with local communities on conservation measures. Four Trappers Associations have been established under the UNEP/GEF SCWP[1]. Further activities are necessary to improve and secure efficient control of shooting. Much of the Caspian lowlands, including both natural wetlands and rice field areas, is under pressure from urban development as a result of rapid tourism growth.

Under the UNEP/GEF SCWP, conservation actions are being taken to help assure the long-term survival of Siberian Crane habitats in the breeding grounds in Russia, the staging areas in southern Russia and Kazakhstan, and the wintering sites in the Islamic Republic of Iran. CMS and ICF will help promote conservation activities in the staging areas in Astrakhan Nature Reserve, Dagestan and Azerbaijan, which are not included in the UNEP/GEF SCWP, by strengthening the flyway level coordination and establishing a network of protected areas.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) represents a potential threat to Siberian Cranes as well as other wild waterbirds. HPAI incidences have been recorded in all CMS MoU Range States except Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, with significant wild bird mortality in some cases. Increased surveillance and reduction of transmission risks at key sites are desirable.

Education and Public Awareness

CMS and ICF have produced a video about Siberian Cranes that has been repeatedly broadcast over most of the Range States. In addition, a beautiful poster with a picture of Siberian Crane by Robert Bateman, was developed in 13 languages and distributed in 10 countries.

The Sterkh Foundation ("sterkh" is the Russian word for Siberian Crane) in Salekhard, just north of the breeding grounds of cranes, is committed to the recovery of the population of Siberian Cranes as well as the Central population in West Siberia through widespread and effective public education. In 2005 the Sterkh Foundation organized a major Crane Festival that included children’s art and exhibition of Siberian Crane pictures and an international workshop on the “Flight of Hope” Project. In 2006, the Sterkh Foundation published a colourful book containing the best children’s artwork from the festival.

Iran, Kazakhstan and Russia have the greatest challenges in crane education and public awareness. Restored in 2000, the Crane Working Group of Eurasia initiated and organised Crane Celebrations in 2002. Since that time, Crane Celebrations have become annual events and the number of involved countries and sites has increased significantly. In 2005 Azerbaijan and in 2006 Iran participated in organizing these events. For this activity, education materials including pins, stickers, calendars, posters, brochures and a booklet “101 Questions about Cranes” by Professor Vladimir Flint and “Materials for Crane Celebration” are produced and distributed annually.

In Iran, a public awareness programme is underway under the UNEP/GEF SCWP, which is integrated with community participation work at the sites. A set of postage stamps depicting the Siberian Crane was issued in 2007 with support of the Dept of environment, SCWP and WWF.

[1] Development of a Wetland Site and Flyway Network for Conservation of the Siberian Crane and Other Migratory Waterbirds in Asia.

� 2004 by SCFC