A drone photo taken on June 8, 2024 shows a black-necked crane searching for food at a wetland in Xainza County of Nagqu City, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan)
The black-necked crane, a species under first-class state protection in China, mainly inhabits plateau meadows and marshes at an altitude of 2,500 to 5,000 meters.
Every year around the time of June, pairs of black-necked cranes migrate to Xainza County to build nests and hatch eggs on grass piers surrounded by water. Black-necked cranes usually lay one or two eggs in every nest, and the incubation period is about 30 days.
In recent years, Xizang has continuously strengthened the protection of the habitat of black-necked cranes, and their living environment has been effectively improved. The dotted wetlands in Xainza County have attracted a large number of black-necked cranes to breed their offspring.