The Black-necked Crane, a bird of immense cultural importance in Himalayan mythology and religion, is being considered for down-listing from ‘Vulnerable’ to ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List.
A symbol of peace, black-necked cranes have been revered by Tibetan Buddhists for centuries. Legend has it that previous incarnations of the Dalai Lama were carried from monastery to monastery on the backs of these holy birds.
Traditionally these birds symbolize maternal love and happy marriages. It is believed that they pair for a lifetime and when one of them die or get separated, the other also end up dieing because of extreme depression.