Black-necked cranes

Why in news?

• A pair of Black-necked cranes (Grus nigricollis), native to the Tibetan plateau were sighted for the first time in Assam.

About Black necked Crane:

• The black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis) is a medium-sized crane in Asia that breeds on the Tibetan Plateau and remote parts of India and Bhutan.
•  It is 139 cm (55 in) long with a 235 cm (7.8 ft) wingspan, and it weighs 5.5 kg (12 lbs).
• It is whitish-gray, with a black head, red crown patch, black upper neck and legs, and white patch to the rear of the eye.
• Some populations are known to make seasonal movements.
• It is revered in Buddhist traditions and culturally protected across much of its range.
• According to some Tibetan buddhist beliefs, previous incarnations of the Dalai Lama were carried from monastery to monastery on the backs of these holy birds
•  A festival in Bhutan celebrates the bird while the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir considers it as the state bird.
• The black-necked crane is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• Habitat modification, drying of lakes and agriculture, collisions with power lines etc are threatening populations.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Consider the following statements regarding Black necked Crane:
1.It is found mainly in north eastern India and Tibet.
2.It is considered a critically endangered species.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to Prelims Question