Migration Routes and Stopover Sites of Black-necked Cranes in Yingjing County, Sichuan Province

The black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis), listed as the National first-class key protected wild animals, has always been well documented in migration routes and dynamics, which is of significance to the protection of this endangered species. As one of the most important areas for migration of black-necked cranes, Yingjing county received less systematic monitoring and targeted management for a long time. In this study, the population dynamics, migration routes and stopover sites of black-necked cranes in Yingjing county from 2015 to 2017 were investigated and monitored, and the habitats of stopover sites were evaluated.. The results indicated that most of the individuals tended to migrate through the western areas of Yingjing county in spring, while they tended to migrate back to their wintering area through the eastern areas of Yingjing county in autumn. Xinmiao and Longcanggou town, characterized by high vegetation cover and less anthropogenic disturbances, were considered as the representative stopover areas of the black-necked cranes in Yingjing county in spring and autumn respectively. It is highly recommended to set up two mini nature reserves separately in the west and east of Yingjing county, and reduce human activities in March and November in stopover areas to ensure the natural migration pattern of black-necked cranes.