Outlook
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The
common crane (eurasian crane) is one of the biggest Europe birds, ranging in length around
140 cm and in weight between 4 and 6 kgs.
Cranes are large birds with long necks and legs. They are recognizable by their imposing
size and graceful proportions.
Adults have a grey body and a black and white neck and head with a red mark.
Body plumage of juveniles is yellowish brown (during almost a year). Body plumage becomes
progressively like the adults. |
How to recognize them ?
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| Goose |
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Cormorant |
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Heron |
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Crane |
Cranes fly with their necks stretched straight forward and with their long
legs trailing directly behind them along the same axis as their necks and bodies. Cranes
in flight present an elegant silhouette.
| Some numbers about the Common Crane : Protected in
France since 1967
Speed of flight: 40 to 80 km/h (it can cross France in less than one day)
Altitude of flight: from 200 to 1500m
West-European population: 110 000 cranes
Total European population: 230 000 cranes
Reproduction in 17 countries, in order of decreasing importance : Russia, Sweden, Finland,
Poland, Biélorussia, Germany, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Turkey,
Republic Czech, Denmark, Romania, Britain, France (one to three braces). |
Breeding
In general, cranes are isolated on their
territories during breeding period and gregarious during the non-breeding period.
The age of sexual maturity is around 3 or 5 years old. Mated birds stay together troughout
the year and generally remain paired until one bird dies. The nest is built by both sexes
withion wetlands, directly on the ground.
One or two eggs make up a normal clutch. Both sexes play a part in incubation (which lasts
around 4 weeks)
After a few months, the chicks begin to follow their parents nearby food sources. The
juvenile cranes remain with their parents troughout the non-breeding period. |
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Migration
Crane are the very symbol of migration since the most ancient times and their loud
clanging notes rythm the seasons of man.
 After
breeding, in
August and September, thousands of cranes meet on the swedish island of Oland. Then, they
reach the south coast of the Baltic sea (Rügen island) where almost 30000 birds stand in
october. 15000 stand in Germany.
Some of them begin their migration at the end of October but most of them start their
journey to the south during November. Flight speeds in most estimates average 40-70 km/h
(depending on the wind). They migrate independently by night or by day (altitudes range :
200 to 1000 meters) |
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meteorological conditions, some of them would stop in the North-East of France in Lorraine
and especially in Champagne and in the South-West (Landes de Gascogne). Their wintering
areas mostly are based in Spain. Another migration route goes from Finland, through
Hungary and Tunisia, to Algeria. |
Main French site localization where Cranes winter
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Spring
migration to the breeding areas in the North of Europe will start as early as February. It
proceeds faster than in spring. The route is slightly displaced eastward, but birds stop
at the sames places.
Lake Hornborgasjön in Sweden is the main gathering site in April. Breeding pairs perform
their courtship diplays, a fantastic ballet that made Hornborgasjön famous in the whole
Europe. |
The big lakes in Champagne
The lake of Der-Chantecoq has become one of the major sites for
migrating Cranes in western Europe since the beginning of the eigthies.
La Champagne has been on the Cranes route from immemorial times. The birds would stop
there irregularily. Since 1974, when the lake was flooded and was declared as a reserve,
numbers have grown steadily. thte lake is so attractive for cranes that it does have the
effect of narrowing their migration front, and thirty to seventy per cent of the birds
stop there every year. The lake‘s islands are safe roosts, and the opening of the
agricultural landscape provides the wary birds with good views all around. Food is mainly
maize wastes.
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Cranes leave their roosts at dawn and fly to the nearby meadows and fields. They
would stay there all the day long moving around for feeding purposes or because of any
disturbance. They gather in large parties during the afternoon to fly back to the lake
until dusk. They would stay for a few days or a few weeks and then fly southwards
again. However, since 1994, a few thousand cranes (6800 in 1994, more than 8500 in 1999) make it
a genuine wintering stay, as long as frost or snow do not prevent them from
feeding. |
In march, the birds are in a hurry to reach their breeding sitees. In
fine weather, they just stay overnight and the passage is concentrated on about 3 weeks
(up to birds in 1999). It is a grand spectacle that thousands of Cranes taking wing at
dawn with loud bugle calls, and one that watchers from all Europe will never forget.
The lake of Forêt d'Orient is another large man-made lake in Champagne. The surrounding
area is mostly forest and so less favourable for Cranes which stay for a shorter time and
in lesser numbers.
Protected and yet threatened
As a species, crane is not on the brink of exctinction. It really is
endangered however. The wintering quarters in Spain are dramatically reduced by the
deforestation of oak-woods : the birds are thus deprived of feeding on acorns, once a
plentiful food supply.
By necessity, cranes have turned to depend heavily on agricultural productions with high
risks of poisoning and sterility due to massive use of dangerous chemicals.
Drainage schemes and forest over-exploitation in Scandinavia are destroying parts of their
breeding areas.
Others threats during migration are electric wires and shooting - everlasting despite
official protection in every country.
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