Chinese scientists use satellite for the first time to trace black-necked cranes and have attained valuable monitoring records of the cranes' migrating route.

Yang Xiaojun, researcher of the Kunming Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) told Xinhua that signals from the satellite show that the monitored black-necked crane has been back to the Dashanbao Black-necked Crane Nature Reserve in southwest China's Yunnan Province and completed its round migrant trip, the traces of which have provided China's first monitoring records of the cranes' migrating route.

According to the signals, black-necked cranes usually fly from Dashanbao where they survive the winter to Ruo'ergai County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, about 700 km away from Dashanbao, to reproduce.

The signals show that black-necked cranes would fly three or four days to cover the 700-km route during which they would stop at four counties, but different cranes would stop at different time and places.

According to a rough analysis, every 95 to 240 km the cranes would stop flying for a while and would never fly when night falls.

When black-necked cranes are about to reproduce, they used to stay in Sichuan's Ruo'ergai County and Gansu's Maqu County in northwest China, the signals show.

On February 26, 2005, the Kunming Institute of Zoology of the CAS sent four black-necked cranes wearing satellite emitters, marking China's first effort using satellite to trace black-necked cranes.

The world endangered black-necked crane is a rare migrant in tablelands. Its tall and beautiful figure makes it valuable in bird-watching and scientific research.

In China, the crane can be seen only in remote areas of northwest China's Qinghai, southwest China's Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou and Tibet.

(Xinhua News Agency December 10, 2005)