“They have a brilliant white plumage ... the crown of their head, black mustache-like mask...” details Stephanie Schmidt, lead outreach biologist at the International Crane Foundation.

In my travels I have encountered cranes on three continents. Tibet, November 1995: Driving along the Yarlung River, we spot a flock of black-necked ... and sweeping long white wings attached ...

with a white body and black neck and tail feathers. It gets its name from the red patch of feathers on top of its head. There are only two major populations of this crane left in the wild — one ...