World Crane Day: signs. Extracurricular event "Crane Day" Legends of cranes

Every year on the second Sunday of September, the public celebrates World Crane Day. This tradition began in 2002 in the USA when saving an endangered species - the whooping crane. Considerable efforts were made by scientists and ordinary citizens to restore the numbers of this unusually beautiful bird species, and the day when the threat of extinction passed and a whole brood of surviving birds went to nest was declared a new environmental holiday.

However, since ancient times in Rus' there has been a tradition of glorifying cranes. The Slavic month book has preserved the memory of the celebrations of Kupriyan’s Day or the Crane Assembly to this day. This holiday was named in memory of Saint Cyprian of Carthage, who lived in the 3rd century and became famous for his love of nature, as well as his ability to notice and discern its secrets.

Like the saint, our ancestors observed changes in nature and associated them with a way of life that was inextricably dependent on environmental conditions. It was believed that on Kupriyanov's day the cranes gather in the swamp and hold advice on when and which way to fly south. Hence the second name of the holiday - Crane Assembly. From mid-September in Rus', the harvest of cranberries began, which in the old days were called crane berries or crane berries. According to pagan traditions, it was strictly forbidden to collect cranberries before Kupriyan's day, under the fear of causing troubles and misfortunes (they were afraid of falling into the forest or perishing in the swamp). People loved to celebrate the cranberry harvest en masse, organizing collective gatherings. However, birthday people born in Kupriyan enjoyed the privilege of finding the first berry. According to legend, only they were promised luck in finding the cranberry - the place where the largest cranberry grows. The collected berries were used to make jam, compotes, jelly, and pies.

In addition, in the old days the first month of autumn was called “gloomy” or “leaf fall”, which means it was important to have time to stock up on the harvest for future use. On Kupriyanov's day, peasants collected root vegetables (carrots, turnips, beets, potatoes) from their gardens and prepared pickles and other supplies from them.
So it was customary for the peasants: on Kupriyanov day, to see off the birds flying away for the winter, and to prepare themselves for the severe cold. Our ancestors believed that with the flying wedge of cranes, the goddess Zhiva, personifying fertility, left the earth. Saying goodbye to the cranes until spring, people thanked the pagan goddess for the fruits grown through hard work and the opportunity to feed themselves, and also retained the hope that after the end of the cold season they would once again enjoy warm spring days and meet these stately birds. A wedge of cranes flying across the sky evoked many emotions: longing for one’s native land and a premonition of frost.

In addition, people believed that cranes are God's messengers: in the fall they transport the souls of the dead on their wings to another world, and in the spring they return to their homeland, bringing with them the souls of those who will be born in the near future.

In many countries of the world, cranes are symbols of prosperity, health, wisdom, and longevity. There are many signs and beliefs associated with these birds. It was believed that meeting a crane promises a person joy, good luck, and family well-being. Killing a crane, on the contrary, was a terrible sin. There is an opinion that the prototype of the firebird from Russian folk tales was the crane.
Cranes are a family of birds of the crane-like order that have survived on Earth since the era of dinosaurs. The closest relatives of these species of birds are considered to be railing cranes and trumpeters, and their historical homeland is the American continent, from where the cranes first came to Asia, and from there to Africa and Australia. These birds are widespread in the world, absent only in Antarctica and South America, but at the same time, as a rule, they are few in number and sometimes rare. With a lifespan of about 20 years, and in captivity the ability to live up to 80 years, cranes are the longest-livers of the avian world.
In total, there are about 15 species of cranes in the world, 7 of which nest in Russia.
In modern conditions, cranes need protection; many are listed in the Red Books of various levels, but there were times when these birds were subject to commercial hunting. In some countries (Pakistan, Afghanistan) migratory cranes are still hunted, despite protests from conservationists and the general public.

During the autumn and spring migration, well-known “dances” can be observed in clusters of Japanese cranes: several birds simultaneously demonstrate a number of ritual movements - high jumps with outstretched wings, bows, etc. Both adults and young people take part in the “dances” birds. Usually, “dancers” can be observed after feeding, when one of the birds begins to jump, spreading its wings, and carries away the others; soon the animation turns into a collective dancing euphoria, captivating the entire flock.

For example, Vitaly Bianki, a famous children’s writer and author of many children’s works, described the dancing of the cranes without hiding his admiration:
“The cranes are dancing in the swamp. They gather in a circle, and then one or two come out into the middle and start dancing. At first, nothing - they just jump with their long legs. Further more: they break into a wide dance and throw out such little knees - you will die laughing! And they spin, and jump, and squat - well, it’s exactly like cutting off a trepak on stilts! And those standing around flapping their wings evenly, in time.”

In the Prikhankai lowland you can find 6 species of cranes. At the same time, the red-crowned and white-naped cranes traditionally nest here, and the other 4 species (black crane, gray crane, Siberian crane and demoiselle) are found on migration. All of them are considered rare and are listed in the Red Books of various levels.

Both everywhere and in the lake basin. Khanka The main reasons for the decline in the number of cranes are natural fires, destruction of habitats through unreasonable human economic activity, poaching, as well as disturbance at nesting and wintering sites.

The celebration of World Crane Day coincides with the annual crane counts organized by ornithologists, birdwatchers and amateur volunteers during the pre-flight period. It is important for scientists to monitor the population dynamics of these rare bird species in order to promptly apply the necessary techniques to preserve them in nature. In addition, drawing public attention to the problems of crane conservation, on this holiday environmental actions, competitions, festivals, thematic exhibitions and other performances among the local population, including excursions to the habitats of graceful birds. We all must clearly understand that only through joint efforts and civic responsibility of everyone is it possible to preserve the conditions necessary for the cranes to survive and save these majestic birds from extinction.

Department of Environmental Education
FSBI "State Nature Reserve "Khankaisky"

World Crane Day! Cranes and cranes are a symbol of freedom, a symbol of wisdom, love and fidelity! Take care of these beautiful birds!

Every spring, when we hear a ringing cooing, we raise our heads up and welcome their return.
And in the fall in September, with sadness and sadness, we watch the crane spring fly away to warmer lands. Our cranes spend the winter there.

People love these birds and write songs, fairy tales, and stories about them. At the same time, the crane is necessarily a smart, brave, positive hero. And since 2002 they began to celebrate World Crane Day which falls on the second Sunday in September. In 2016 the holiday will be September 11th.

The ancestors of cranes appeared a long time ago, back in the time of dinosaurs, it was about 40 million years ago in North America. Then they settled on all continents and slowly reached our lands. Now cranes live everywhere except Antarctica and South America.

There are 15 species of cranes in the world, 7 of them nest in our country
Birds create pairs for many years, and only if one of the partners dies, the other looks for a new companion.

They build nests near wetlands or plowed fields. They never build nests in trees, they don’t even sit on them.
When a couple occupies an area, and it is not small - up to several square kilometers, they actively protect it from other cranes.

They feed on plant seeds, buds, insects, worms, and frogs. Not averse to profiting from small fish and even snakes. The diet may also include grain if there are sown fields nearby. Water is very important to these beautiful birds as they drink it several times a day.

And you can watch their ritual mating dances for hours, although only at dawn. Chicks hatch during the rainy season. This helps them survive, because at this time there is a lot of healthy and varied food around.

The birds get along well with each other. A flock of cranes has its own scouts, who fly ahead of everyone, inspect the territory to see if there is any danger, and only then the whole flock lands. There are also sentinels who, like guards on guard, vigilantly guard the feeding time, sleep and rest time of the entire flock. At the moment of danger, they emit a loud cry, and the entire flock instantly takes off.

And when birds migrate, they fly at altitudes of up to 1500 meters above the ground. When flying, they use rising currents of warm air.
And when the flock forms a wedge, the strongest, most experienced individuals always go ahead. The flapping of their wings creates an upward jet, which has a very powerful force and helps the young and weak to stay in the air.
The path to the wintering site is long, so the birds have one or two permanent stops for rest and respite.

So where do these majestic beauties fly to?

The smallest demoiselle crane, which is only 90 cm tall, prefers to winter in East and Central Africa
A whooping crane flies to Northern Mexico.
The Siberian Crane awaits warm days on the banks of the Yangtze River in China.
Our gray crane prefers India, Israel, Asia Minor, and Africa. It flies quickly, reaching speeds of more than 50 kilometers per hour in flight.

In the wild, cranes live for about 20 years, but in captivity with good care they can live up to 80 years.

The second Sunday of September is the annual day of celebration of the World Crane Day (World Crane Day). This holiday was formed in 2002, in honor of the action to save the endangered species of the American crane by US authorities. Scientists have made titanic efforts to ensure that the endangered species can restore its numbers and leave the risk group. When a new brood of rare birds flew together for the first nesting, ecologists from many countries rejoiced and founded this important holiday.

How did the holiday come about?

In 2002, a group of scientists studying cranes living in Eurasia came up with the idea of creating a holiday that would highlight the problems of cranes. The proposal did not go unnoticed and was approved by the Secretariat of the Bonn Convention, which is involved in the protection of many fauna that migrate south. Even the World Ecology Fund, the World Crane Fund, the Society for the Protection of All Birds of Russia, as well as the popular Moscow Zoo were added to the list of founders of the holiday. Many other influential organizations also expressed a desire to participate in organizing the holiday. Thus, this day is celebrated in Mongolia, USA, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and many other countries. The date of the celebration was also not chosen by chance. Just at this time, cranes fly to warm countries (India, Iran) for the winter.

The purpose of founding such a holiday was to attract public attention to the declining numbers and other problems of these birds. During the celebration of Crane Day, public organizations hold a variety of thematic events and other events on similar topics. At this time, ecologists involved in the study and conservation of birds conduct multiple seminars to solve existing problems and improve the living conditions of cranes.

Over time, the number of endangered cranes has decreased significantly. To save the endangered species, scientists began adding the eggs of these cranes to the nests of other individuals of a similar species that fly to a safe place to create nests. The efforts of scientists yielded excellent results, as the time came when the first full-fledged brood of rare birds flew to nest. This time became the date of the founding of the holiday, and this graceful bird became the foundation of many organizations involved in protecting nature.

Why do cranes need to be protected?

Cranes appeared during the reign of dinosaurs. Scientists believe that the first ancestors of modern cranes walked the earth 50-60 million years ago. Initially, such long-legged birds lived in North America. Later they moved to Asia. Lastly, these birds populated the territory of Australia, as well as Africa. Nowadays, cranes live all over the world, annually flying to warm places to nest. The only place that is not a habitat for cranes is South America, as well as the territory covered with glaciers in Antarctica. With the onset of cold weather, cranes fly to the western part of India and Iran. Modern eclogues number approximately 15 species of these birds. However, no more than 6-7 of them can be found on Russian territory. Certain species of cranes are even included in the Red Book and are protected by various organizations involved in environmental issues.

Cranes were once considered an industrial species of birds, the numbers of which independently replenished without human help. Today, certain species of these fauna cannot survive without human protection and protection. However, not all countries support the need to protect cranes. One of the favorite pastimes of Pakistanis and Afghans is shooting cranes flying by.

After the appearance of the holiday, various organizations, on the eve of the celebration of Crane Day, begin to count the population of different types of cranes, as well as study the favorable conditions for their nesting. In many countries, on the day of celebration, many different exhibitions, fairs, festivals, seminars, as well as excursions to places where most of the cranes accumulate in autumn. All these events are open, so almost anyone can take part in them.

What you need to know about cranes?

Cranes are unique birds in many ways, but only a few know their main features. Thus, cranes are among the rare birds that choose a permanent partner. Only in rare cases can they change partners, mainly after the death of the first chosen one.

There are no birds as large as cranes that can fly. The smallest species of these birds reach 90 cm (demadelle), and the largest, the Australian crane, reaches 170 cm.

It is also worth knowing that cranes raised in captivity can live up to 70-80 years, while birds living in the wild rarely survive 20 years.

Once a year, almost all cranes lose the ability to fly. During molting, a significant part of their flight feathers falls out, allowing them to lift their massive body into the air. Also, almost all types of cranes cannot sit or move in trees. This happens due to a physiological feature. They lack a rear grasping finger, which allows them to hold on to a branch while maintaining balance.

The migration and wintering of cranes also has its own characteristics. They migrate in small flocks consisting of 2-4 pairs and several individuals who have not found a pair. Such associations of birds allow them not only to survive, but also to protect themselves from many dangers. When the flock sleeps or feeds, sentinels are constantly vigilant, trying to notice the slightest danger and warn their fellow tribesmen about it. If the flock decides to leave a place of overnight or wintering, it does not return until it sends and waits for the return of several scouts checking the calm of the situation.

How to celebrate World Crane Day?

Many people have no idea how to celebrate such environmental holidays. Most often, they simply find poetic SMS with congratulations on the Internet and send them to friends and acquaintances. However, the essence of the holiday is not in a banal congratulation, which does not have much meaning, but in drawing attention to the life and problems of these beautiful birds. On Crane Day, you can go to a zoo or a bird exhibition and appreciate the beauty, grace and defenselessness of these birds. You can also take part in one of the events held annually at this time in many cities. You can go with your child to video exhibitions where they talk about the life, characteristics and problems of cranes. Children are usually very interested in learning about the birds present in their region. While they know quite a lot about tits, sparrows and bullfinches, the mysterious cranes always look mysterious and attractive.

It is noteworthy that the Slavs closely associated this Christian holiday with cranes. There is even a sign that if cranes fly south on Golovosek, you should expect early cold weather and a snowy winter.

The second Sunday in September is the annual day of celebration of the World Crane Day (World Crane Day). This holiday was formed in 2002, in honor of the action to save the endangered species of the American crane in the United States.

Advocating for saving the endangered species of whooping crane, environmental scientists placed its eggs in the nests of cranes of other species, which went to nest in safe places. The day when a new brood of rare birds flew together to nest for the first time was declared a new environmental holiday, and the crane became a symbol of organizations protecting nature.

The proposal to found the holiday was approved by the Secretariat of the Bonn Convention, which is dedicated to protecting the many fauna that migrate south. The founders of the holiday included the World Ecology Fund, the World Crane Fund, the Society for the Protection of All Birds of Russia, as well as the popular Moscow Zoo. Many other influential organizations also expressed a desire to participate in organizing the holiday.

This day is celebrated in Mongolia, USA, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and many other countries. The date of celebration is timed to coincide with the time when cranes begin to fly to warm countries (India, Iran) for the winter.

What you need to know about cranes?

The first ancestors of these beautiful birds appeared back in the time of dinosaurs, about 40-60 million years ago. The historical homeland of cranes is considered to be North America, from where they migrated first to Asia, and from there to Africa and Australia. Currently, the crane population is widespread throughout the world, with the only exceptions being Antarctica and South America. The main wintering grounds for cranes are Iran and western India.

There are about 15 species of cranes in total, seven of them nest in Russia. Some species of cranes are listed in the Red Book.

The crane was once a game bird, but is now protected by law. However, despite protests from the international conservation and ornithological community, in some countries (for example, Afghanistan and Pakistan) the tradition of hunting migratory cranes is still preserved.

There are no birds as large as cranes that can fly. The smallest species of these birds reach 90 cm (demoiselle), and the largest, the Australian crane, reaches 170 cm.

It is also worth knowing that cranes raised in captivity can live up to 70-80 years, while birds living in the wild rarely survive 20 years.

Once a year, almost all cranes lose the ability to fly. During molting, a significant part of their flight feathers falls out, allowing them to lift their massive body into the air. Almost all types of cranes cannot sit or move in trees, which is due to a physiological feature - they lack a rear grasping finger, which allows them to hold on to a branch and maintain balance.

The celebration of World Crane Day coincides with the annual census of cranes, which is carried out during the pre-flight period. Various organizations, on the eve of the celebration of Crane Day, begin to count the population of different types of cranes, as well as study the favorable conditions for their nesting. The holiday itself in different countries is accompanied by festivals, promotions, competitions and photo exhibitions dedicated to cranes, as well as excursions to places where birds gather in autumn, where everyone can take part in counting them.

Source:

Calend.ru: Events calendar: http://www.calend.ru/holidays/0/0/3125/

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>Cranes are proud and respected birds that inhabit almost every corner of the planet. In the East, there is a legend about the transformation of the souls of fighters and brave warriors who died in various battles or wars into different birds. Cranes are also listed in the Red Book, because their population is declining too quickly due to poachers. Given the importance of this issue, it was decided to introduce World Crane Day, celebrated annually on the second Sunday of September.

The history of the holiday

This important holiday was founded in 2002. The idea to create an International Day dedicated to cranes was submitted by a working group studying cranes living in Eurasia. This proposal was readily supported by many bird protection organizations. Soon the tradition of celebrating the World Crane Festival was also adopted by Ukraine, China, Russia, America, Turkmenistan and other countries.

When the decision was made to introduce such a holiday, all that remained was to choose the time for its holding. It didn’t take long to choose the date. So, after some discussion, the second Sunday of September was set as the date for the celebrations. During this period, birds migrate to India, and certain species migrate to Iran. Here the cranes have their usual wintering grounds.

Features of the holiday

The purpose of introducing World Crane Day is to attract public attention to important issues related to the protection and conservation of rare species of cranes. To attract more people to such an issue, various organizations organize interesting events every year on the second Sunday of September, and various scientific organizations organize seminars for detailed study of dissertations on the conservation and protection of cranes.

The crane was chosen as the symbol of many environmental organizations originally in the United States. To save one of the endangered species (whooping crane), scientists took a rather original move. They decided to place the eggs of an endangered species in the nests of more common and numerous species of cranes that winter in safe and favorable places. When a whole brood of cranes of the species being saved flew to nest, the scientists were incredibly jubilant.

History of the appearance of cranes

The ancestors of modern cranes lived together with dinosaurs. It is believed that these proud birds originally lived in North America. However, the number of birds gradually increased, so they began to migrate to Asia. After some time, the birds moved to Africa, and from there they spread throughout the world. At the same time, there are not many unsuitable places for cranes to live. They cannot live in South America and glacial Antarctica. Today, scientists identify approximately 15 different species of cranes, but no more than 7 of them live in Russia. Some species of such graceful birds are on the verge of extinction, so they are included in the Red Book.

Few people know that cranes were originally industrial birds. Due to a significant decrease in their numbers, a ban on shooting cranes was introduced, but in many countries they take such a restriction lightly. Thus, in several Arab countries, crane hunting is still a permitted activity today.

Legends about cranes

There is an old legend that tells about the king of cranes, who is protected by the entire flock. The rest of the cranes always gather around their king and prepare for vigil. In order not to fall asleep, each crane takes a small pebble in its paw and holds it until it falls asleep. When the bird fell asleep, the stone fell to the ground, waking him and the rest of the slightly dozing birds. This image of a flock of cranes and the ingenuity of such a bird is described by the famous thinker Aristotle.

Almost everyone knows the indoor flower called geranium. But not everyone knows the origin of this name. It is believed that this name comes from the Greek word “geravos”, literally translated as “crane”. The flower was named so because of the resemblance of its fruits to the long beak of cranes.

In Japan, one of the satellites was named "tsuru". Literally translated, it also means “crane.” It is no coincidence that the satellite received such a name, because the Japanese believe that a person who folds a thousand paper cranes will be able to gain additional years of life and good health. This belief appeared after the tragic events in Hiroshima. During the bombing, the little girl Sadoko, who wanted to create a collection of thousands of paper cranes, died. To support her family and make the baby's dream come true, people from all over the world began sending her parents paper cranes. As a result, paper cranes acquired the status of a symbol of peace.

In other countries this beautiful and proud bird is also respected. Thus, Armenia recognized the crane as a symbol of its country, and in Japan and China this bird symbolizes beauty, wisdom, vigilance, honor and longevity. At the same time, cranes in the wild can live up to 20 years, and in more comfortable conditions created by man, their life expectancy has been extended to 80 years. It is difficult to find a similar bird with the same longevity. Once a year, such a bird molts, during which time it practically loses the ability to rise into the air.