Common Crane - Status

Status

The global population is in the region of 210,000-250,000, with the vast majority nesting in Russia and Scandinavia. In some areas the breeding population appears to be increasing, such as in Sweden, whereas on the fringes of its range, it is often becoming rare to non-existent. In Great Britain the Common Crane became extirpated in the 17th century, but a tiny population now breeds again in the Norfolk Broads and is slowly increasing and a reintroduction is planned for the Somerset levels. In Ireland, it died out as a breeding species in the 18th century, but a flock of about 20 appeared in County Cork in November 2011. It was additionally extirpated as a breeder from Italy in the late 1800s, from Austria around 1900, from Hungary by 1952 and from Spain by 1954. The remnant German breeding population is also a fraction of the size of the large numbers that once bred in the country.

The main threat to the species, and the primary reason for its decline in the Western Palearctic, comes from habitat loss and degradation, as a result of dam construction, urbanisation, agricultural expansion, and drainage of wetlands. Although it has adapted to human settlement in many areas, nest disturbance, continuing changes in land use, and collision with utility lines are still potential problems. Further threats may include persecution due to crop damage, pesticide poisoning, egg collection, and hunting. The Common Crane is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.