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Rare breeding migrant, more common during spring and autumn migrations. Inhabits the reed-beds of lakes, wet meadows, hummock marshes among birch groves both on plains and in mountains at altitudes up to 2000 m in Altai and 1950 m in Tien Shan (Tuzkol lake). In spring appears in the end of February - early March to April. Migrates both by day and by night in flocks of 30-40 to one hundred birds, or rare in groups of 3-10 birds. Latest spring migrants observed in end of May. Breeds in separate pairs, at distance several kilometers one from another. Nest is located on patch of dry land among the water, or on shallow water among the reed-bed near the dry shore; nest is built from reed and grass stems, and is lined with grass. Clutch of 2-3 eggs is laid in April – May. Mostly female incubates clutch for about one month, male standing guard nearby. Chicks hatch in May – June and begin to fly in mid July – August. In end of May – June non-breeding Cranes gather in thousands to wing moulting on vast shallow salt lakes (Selety-Teniz, for example), where they rest on island or in shallow water and feed in nearby steppe. Autumn migration begins in August, most birds fly off in mid-September – early October, odd birds linger until end of November.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000. В.Ю.Ильяшенко, О.В.Белялов "Новый подвид серого журавля Grus grus korelovi ssp. из Центрального и Восточного Тянь-Шаня."