White cranes of Yamal flew to the south

Yamal cranes began migrating to the south of Eurasia - scientists recorded the first signals from radio transmitters of cranes released in the summer in the Kunovatsky reserve. Two birds flew south for more than 1000 kilometers and stopped to rest in the Dalmatovsky district of the Kurgan region. Another kind of cranes began migration later, flying along the floodplain of the Ob River. This was reported by the portal of the government of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

Scientists are sure that the late start of crane migration is due to the warm autumn weather.

"Our entire team, which annually releases white cranes in the region, very much hopes that the warm autumn will help them safely migrate to the south of Uzbekistan or even to India," said the curator of the project Dmitry Zamyatin.

As noted in the message, in the middle of this summer, six young cranes were released into the Kunovatsky nature reserve in the Shuryshkarsky district. They were raised and brought to Yamal from the Oka State Biosphere Reserve. A tracking system was installed on each bird. With its help, specialists of the Scientific Center for the Study of the Arctic monitored the movement of cranes. According to the results of air surveys and ground observations, scientists have verified the successful adaptation of young sterkhs to the wild nature of Yamal.

In five years, 21 birds have been released into the wild on the territory of the Kunovatsky Reserve. By 2031, it is planned to release about 50 individuals - this is the minimum necessary for the successful restoration of the sturgeon population in the region.

The activities of the project to restore the Ob cranes population are being implemented in close cooperation with China, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to organize alternative wintering sites for birds.