Last Siberian crane returns to Iran

The last remaining western Siberian crane 'Omid'(Hope) has returned to its winter home, northern Iran, for the 11th consecutive year.

Iran PressIran news: Head of the Department of Environment at the northern province of Mazandaran Hossinali Ebrahimi made the announcement, saying, "The rare bird arrived in Fereydunkenar wetlands in the north of the country on Monday morning."

Since its first journey to Fereydunkenar in 2007, Omid has been flying to Fereydunkenar in the first week of the eighth Iranian calendar month of Aban falling in the last week of October, Iran Press reported.

This year, the rare bird has got back home a few days earlier, bringing joy to the environmentalists and birdwatchers.

There are only 3,200 Siberian cranes left in the world, most of which belonging to the eastern population and wintering in the Poyang Basin in China, while Omid is the last remaining bird from the western population which prefers to spend winter in Iran and, previously, India.

Fereydunkenar wetland on the Caspian Sea has one of the richest ecosystems among the northern cities of Iran and hosts thousands of migratory birds each year, including various types of coots, ducks, herons, grebes, and swans.

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