Safe flyways for the Siberian Crane

Cranes, a flagship species of waterbirds, have great cultural significance - especially the Siberian Crane. Yet, even after decades of conservation efforts, cranes remain threatened with 11 species at risk. To help reverse these trends, the UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetland Project  was the first project to its kind to take a "flyway" approach to conservation, looking to secure the ecological integrity of a network of 16 critical wetlands in Eurasia. For close to a decade, project managers tracked annual migration routes from breeding to wintering sites across four countries: the Russian Federation, China, Iran and Kazakhstan. This report recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of this landmark project.