The Dashanbao national nature reserve in northeast Yunnan Zhaotong City has grown to be a major habitat for black-headed cranes to get through the harsh winter.

The number of wintering cranes has increased to over 1,400 in early 2021 from around 300 in 1990, when the nature reserve was founded,” said Wang Yuanjian, a staff member with the Dashanbao reserve management.

Having gone through the winter, the protected cranes began flying back to the north in late March, with their destination being the Ruoergai prairie that lies 800 kilometers away in north Sichuan province.