Gray Crane.
A large bird, about 115 cm tall, with a wingspan of 180—200 cm; the male weighs up to 6 kg, and the female up to 5 kg 900 g. The plumage of most of the body is bluish-gray, which allows the bird to camouflage itself from enemies in wooded areas. The back and undertail are somewhat darker, while the wings and belly are lighter. The tips of the wings are black.
The front of the head, chin, upper neck, and nape are black or dark gray.
The nape is bluish-gray. There is a wide white stripe on the sides of the head, starting under the eyes and going down along the neck. The crown has almost no feathers, and the bare skin area looks like a red cap.
The beak is light. The legs are black. Young cranes have gray feathers on their heads and necks with reddish tips.
Few have seen cranes nesting in Kyrgyzstan. However, many have seen them flying over its mountains and valleys.
In spring and autumn, thousands and thousands of cranes visit our skies during their long migrations, sometimes stopping to rest. Only a few pairs remain at the nesting site. They settle in remote, rarely visited corners that are hard to find. They mainly nest in marshy areas: in hummocky swamps surrounded by forests, in meadows overgrown with sedge or reeds, in the flooded floodplains of rivers. For wintering, they choose elevations densely covered with grassy vegetation. They prefer large isolated marshy territories, but if such places are lacking, they may settle in small areas near agricultural lands.
Gray cranes are monogamous, staying together and maintaining their pair bond for life. If a male or female dies, the remaining bird finds a new mate. A new pair may also form after prolonged unsuccessful attempts to raise offspring.
The breeding season lasts from April to July. Pairs are formed in winter, before migrating to the future nesting site. Upon arrival at the breeding grounds, the male and female perform characteristic ritual dances, which include jumping, flapping their wings, and a prancing gait.
They nest at Son-Kul and other mountain water bodies in small numbers.
For the nest, a relatively dry patch of land is chosen, over water or nearby. The site is selected in the midst of dense vegetation—thickets of reeds, sedge, etc. Once the site is chosen, the male and female announce it in unison with a complex and prolonged call, marking their territory. The nest is large, over a meter in diameter, and is built from various plant materials. The female usually lays 2 eggs.
The incubation period lasts 28-31 days, with both parents incubating the eggs. The chicks are precocial, covered in down, and are able to leave the nest shortly after hatching. Full plumage in the chicks occurs after 65-70 days.
At the beginning of the breeding season, gray cranes cover their feathers with mud and dirt, making them much less noticeable during incubation and chick-rearing—this behavior helps them hide from predators.
Like other crane species, the gray crane begins its flight with a run, usually into the wind, quickly accelerating and spreading its wings before takeoff. It flies smoothly, moving its wings in a specific rhythm, leisurely lowering them down and sharply raising them up. Similar to storks and geese, but unlike herons, it keeps its head extended during flight. The legs are stretched back, but in cold weather, they may be tucked in.
Gray cranes are omnivorous: they feed on various parts of plants (tubers, stems, leaves, berries, acorns), invertebrates (insects and worms), as well as small vertebrates such as snakes, fish, and rodents. Their diet largely depends on the availability of certain products in a given area. If there are grain fields nearby, the crane will try to feed on the grain, sometimes posing a threat to the harvest.
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