Adults are mainly white with a red face. Black outer wing feathers become conspicuous in flight.
Bare red skin covers the forehead and face, and the legs are reddish pink. Juveniles have a mixture of white and cinnamon-brown feathers.
Eastern Siberian Cranes breed in northeastern Siberia and winter around Poyang Lake. Shallow-water plants and tubers link feeding to wetland hydrology.
A 2025 study used 2015–2023 surveys and satellite tracking of 13 birds. Artificial feeding habitat use was associated with low winter water and reduced natural tuber biomass; cranes also returned to natural wetlands at night.
The authors recommend managing provisioning sites while restoring natural wetlands and addressing crowding-related disease risk. ICF works with communities and agencies on water and wetland conservation.
IUCN Red List (International Crane Foundation account) · Critically Endangered (CR) · Global
Water diversion, wetland conversion, hunting, capture and contamination are threats. Water management, natural-wetland protection and restoration, and community partnerships are priorities.