COMMON CRANE IN FRANCE
Migration and wintering – season 2000/2001
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COMMON CRANE IN FRANCE Migration and wintering – season 2000/2001 |
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Post-nuptial migration 2000 Wintering 2000-2001 Pre-nuptial migration 2001 Wintering |
| Obviously wintering reaches a record number this year consecutively to the exceptional post-nuptial migration. We thus reach a total of about 67,870 cranes, which is more or less twice the number found during the preceding years (37,200 in 2000 and 31,330 in 1999 !). There are in France during this winter about half of the total West European population. Most of the observations are done during the week-end of January 13 and 14, 2001. However, after the movements registered consecutively to the cold wave of mid-January, it is possible that some cranes were counted twice. We have tried to consider this fact as much as possible. Thus for many sites the number that we have deducted is not the maximum registered in January. An important number of cranes have begun to winter in the North-east of France before flying towards the South-east and finish mainly in Aquitaine. For Instance, there were 138 cranes at Puydarrieux (65) in the morning of the 14 and 467 in the evening. To end, we must notice those 3,000 original cranes which have chosen to winter in Germany (Prange in lit.). | ||
| Aquitaine |
About 49,980 cranes have wintered in Aquitaine during this season, that is to
say more than the national total usually noticed on mid-January ! We remember
that there had been 27,360 cranes in 2000 which were already a record.
The Reserve of Arjuzanx still shelters the majority of those cranes with 35,482 individuals counted ("only" 18,690 in 2000). Captieux then comes in a second position with a total number of 12,973 birds (7,880 in 2000). The three other usual sites also arrive in the same order than for the preceding seasons : 1,050 at Muret-Ychoux, 403 at Saint-Martin-de-Seignanx and 76 at the Reserve of the Etang de Cousseau. |
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| Champagne-Ardenne |
The counting was done in the morning of the 14 so the number of cranes wintering in this region is not as important as what it could have been before the cold wave. However we have reached a record number of about 15,230 cranes noticed on 6 different sites! The Lac du Der-Chantecoq is obviously the most important one with 14,016 common cranes (record) but two other sites also shelter many cranes : the Lac du Temple with 523 cranes (record) and we have had the surprise to find a new site South of Argonne with 600 birds ! Moreover we must not forget the wintering of about 100 cranes in Ardennes on three sites : 84 at the Marais de Corny, 7 along the Chiers valley and 2 along the Aisne valley. |
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| Lorraine |
Lorraine also beats a personal best with a number of about 2,070 common cranes. There were only 820 cranes in 2000 in that region but that number was already a record. It is difficult for us to have an accurate number for Lorraine which is due to numerous movements of migration and of exchanges between sites. On mid-January, there were at least three sites with wintering cranes : the South of Woevre with 732 birds, the Etang de Lachaussée with 700 individuals and Billy-les-Mangiennes with at least 635 cranes. |
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| Other places |
Consecutively to the very important number of cranes during winter and because
of the numerous movements of birds fleeing the North-east, we have noticed
cranes on 9 other places.
Some of them are more or less usual: - we can also notice the increasing of wintering cranes in the Baie de l'Aiguillon (Vendée) with 82 individuals. To end, we cannot forget those 33 wintering cranes along the Mediterranean coast on five different sites : 1 adult at Thuir (Pyrénées-Orientales), 15 at Narbonne after January 8 (Aude), 13 in Camargue gardoise (Gard), 3 in Camargue and 1 close to the Etang de Berre (Bouches-du-Rhône). |
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Map 4 : Number of Cranes and wintering in France in January 2001
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Post-nuptial migration 2000 Wintering 2000-2001 Pre-nuptial migration 2001 |
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