Indian desert village welcomes migrating cranes: video
Each winter, the desert village of Khichan in India’s Rajasthan turns into a sanctuary for tens of thousands of Demoiselle cranes migrating from China and Mongolia.
Footage shows vast flocks descending over the village pond, drawing residents and visitors to witness one of the region’s most striking natural spectacles.
At the centre of the phenomenon is a long-running community conservation effort. Volunteers gather daily at a designated feeding ground on the outskirts of the village, where grain is laid out to protect the birds from disturbance and village traffic.
The tradition dates back to the 1970s, when a small feeding practice gradually attracted more cranes each year. As participation grew, so did the numbers, with more than 30,000 birds recorded by 2014. Arriving as early as August and staying until March, the cranes have turned Khichan into one of India’s most unusual and well-known seasonal wildlife havens.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
