Recoveries by Condition for Demoiselle Crane

Most encounters are obtained after 2000. They come mainly from Jul – ca. 42%. Most encounters in late Jun and Jul are based primarily on juveniles. The overall sample size of recoveries after 1991 is 17 – in 41% of them the metal ring was read in the field, 29% belonged to the category “bird found”, 24% - to ringing encounters and in one case (ca. 6%) a bird was found shot. Shooting is responsible for a single encounter in mid-1980s close to the Caspian Sea in S European Russia.

The sample of ringing encounters based on the European population is extremely small.

Annual Movements for Demoiselle Crane

Tracking data only are available to show the species’ long-distance movements in S-SW direction to its African wintering grounds.

Birds breeding in the Azov/ Black Sea region start their migration in late Aug. After crossing the Black Sea and Asia they fly over the E Mediterranean, Egypt and finally reach their wintering grounds in C Chad in early Sep. Spring migration starts early Mar, Nile River Delta is an important stopover on the way back (mid- to late Mar). Some birds stopover in Cyprus (mid-Mar), Asia Minor is crossed between late Mar and late Apr, and the breeding sites are reached as early as late Mar (Andryuschenko et al. (Movebank data).  

Caspian Sea Lowland breeders migrate first S, crossing the Caucasus, then continue via Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Red Sea and finally reach their wintering grounds in E Sudan (Ilyashenko et al. (Movebank data).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Demoiselle Crane

Autumn migration in the Azov/ Black Sea region population begins in late summer. The birds fly S over the Black Sea, some of them use stopovers in C Asia Minor. The birds cross the E Mediterranean and via Egypt finally reach the wintering sites in C Chad in early autumn where they stay until early spring. In spring, most birds are located in the E Mediterranean region and Asia Minor early to mid-spring. Breeding sites are occupied mostly in mid-spring (Andryuschenko et al. (Movebank data).

A secondary migratory route used by this population passes along the W coast of Black Sea (Ilyashenko 2019).

Birds breeding in the Caspian Sea Lowland take S routes over the Caucasus, passing through the E Turkey/ NW Iran region and reaching C Iraq where they turn SW. They continue via Saudi Arabia and Red Sea to their wintering sites in E Sudan (Ilyashenko et al. (Movebank data).