Habitat selection by Siberian Cranes at their core stopover area during migration in Northeast China

Stopover habitats are crucial refuelling and resting sites for migratory birds to ensure their complete migration and successful reproduction and survival. The Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus) has been recognized as critically endangered according to ‘Red List’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); however their stopover habitats are threatened by various causes and thus, are depleting. To identify the range and environmental characteristics of the stopover habitats selected by the Siberian Cranes during their migration in Northeast China, important factors influencing these habitats and habitat suitability distribution were studied by using the maximum entropy model. Subsequently, climate conditions and wetland types were the most important factors, based on which the Siberian cranes selected the stopover habitats. The stopover habitats selected by the Siberian Cranes were primarily located in areas with mean annual total precipitation less than 400 mm, mean annual temperature between 4 °C and 7 °C, and seasonal brackish and alkaline marshes. Areas within and near the Momoge National Nature Reserve on the West Songnen Plain were vital resting sites for the Siberian Crane. The spatial distribution of habitat suitability evidently varied, and 20% areas of the reserve, which demonstrated a high degree of habitat suitability, were observed outside the reserve boundaries, thus, indicating gaps in conservation of the Siberian Cranes habitats in Northeast China. The results of this study highlight the need for implementing effective measures to conserve the Siberian Cranes habitat to maintain sustainable ecosystems.