Rare crane habitat under threat

The red-headed crane, known by Vietnamese people under the popular name hac, is the symbol of strength, faithfulness and longevity. But as a species, they might not have long to go.
Listed in the World’s Red Book of Threatened Species, red-headed cranes flocked to Tam Nong Bird Sanctuary by the hundreds during the dry seasons of the 1990s. However, due to the changes in the living environment, repeated floods, and encroachment by locals, the maximum dry-season crane count there fell dramatically to just 82 birds in 2005.
To see these majestic, scarce creatures up close, Viet Nam News took a trip with photographer Minh Loc - who has the largest, and some say most beautiful, collection of photos of red-headed cranes in the country - to the wetlands of Tram Chim Bird Sanctuary in May.
With a system of swamps, grass-plots and criss-crossing canals, the 7,500ha Tram Chim has become an ideal habitat for more than 140 species of plants, 40 species of fish, pythons, turtles, eels and snakes, 198 rare and precious species of birds such as pelicans, storks, herons, spot-billed ducks, water chickens - and, of course, red-headed, bare-necked, also known as sarus, cranes.
Ghost rice
It was an auspicious time to go to Tram Chim, which lies in the lowest area of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta water-logged plain and in the centre of the Dong Thap Muoi (known as the Plain of Reeds) region in southern Viet Nam. The September to November high-water season, which inundates the national park with 2m to 4m of water, had not yet arrived.
"During the low-water season, the sanctuary is home to the red-headed cranes," said Loc. "They choose this area because a specific grass is available, locally know as nan grass."
Unfortunately, areas of plentiful nan grass, are dwindling because of forest fires, Loc said. "If the situation is not improved, this beautiful bird will leave Viet Nam one day."
We paddled small wooden canoes around the quiet and peaceful grasslands and swamps. The smell of alum filled the air, the water surface was invaded with the different colours of lotus leaves and water lilies, and we found ourselves among thousands of wandering water birds.
In the distance lay the immense green fields of "heaven’s rice" also called "ghost rice", which can grow to 5m tall. "Ghost rice grows wild and its height depends on the water level," Loc said. "The inhabitants usually come here to spread nets, pick up lotus flowers, and harvest ghost rice in the high water season."
For that reason, locals often sing: "Ai oi ve miet Thap Muoi. Ca tom san bat … lua troi san an". This can be translated as, "Let’s go to Dong Thap Muoi area. It is a place where fish and rice are at hand."
Crossing a narrow, creaky wooden bridge, we headed to one of the three tallest structures in the national park, a 20-plus-m watchtower, to enjoy the view of a vast area of cajuput.
The wind was strong, forcing us to take caution with every step up. But the top provided an excellent view. It was like flying in the air above a large stream of water cutting through a vast green field, like a snake winding its way along the side of the ridge.
From the watchtower, we watched different birds walking along the canal in search of food, as well as ducks swimming along in the crystal water streams.
Do not disturb
The view of the horizon, under clear skies, from January to June each year, is dotted with several black spots - the number of which peak during March and April. They are members of crane flocks returning from Laos and Cambodia after months of emigrating to evade floods, Loc said.
Only through binoculars could we see the cranes that day. Some of the largest birds in the sanctuary, they stood approximately 1.75m tall with a wingspan of 2.5m. They had long necks, long legs, gray bodies, red foreheads and white cheeks.
The bird’s sound is that of "a deep, rolling trumpet and rattling", Loc said. "They mate for life, can live to the age of 60 and don’t welcome intruders."
"The red-headed crane is a very sensitive bird, so to take photographs or to see the cranes close-up, we must wake up very early in the morning and hide behind the blinds before the birds arrive at day-break," Loc said. The blinds, or tum in Vietnamese, are set up near the cranes’ feeding areas and contain only two to three people.
In the low-water season, tourists come to the bird sanctuary to spot and photograph cranes at dawn and sunset. But the sanctuary’s caretakers try to maintain a delicate balance between sightseeing and science.
"The main function of the Tam Nong Bird Sanctuary is scientific research and conservation," said Nguyen Van Cong, chairman of People’s Committee of Tam Nong district. "The Board of Management is trying to restore and keep the original as much as possible. Thus, tourism does not develop here."
So environmental authorities are trying to divert eco-enthusiasts to other locations nearby. "To exploit the potential of eco-tourism, which is still low," said Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy director of the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, "authorities of Dong Thap province are investing VND10 billion (US$560,000) in 2009 in building the 1,600ha Gao Giong Ecotourist Park and Lang Le History and Eco-tourism Park, the largest tourist sites in the province."
With tourism being discouraged and the birds’ food sources dwindling, if you want to see the red-billed crane somewhere other than on a pagoda or altar, you might want to make the pilgrimage to Tram Chim next low-water season.