Black-necked cranes, rare birds under national priority protection, find food in the Napahai Nature Reserve, Shangri-la County, Deqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, photo from Xinhua.

A recent survey indicates that black-necked cranes spending the winter in Shangri-la Tibetan Autonomous County, Yunan Province, breed in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Living at an altitude of 2,500 m to 5,000 m, the cranes are the only cranes inhabiting and breeding on a plateau. Every year, about 500 live through the winter in Shangri-la's Pudacuo and Napahai nature reserves. However, it is little known where these birds breed and how they migrate there.

This new discovery of the species' breeding place is based on the two-year satellite tracing of the activities of two cranes in the Napahai Nature Reserve.

Later this winter, a ground investigation of the present conditions of the places for its breeding and inhabitation will continue following the survey to locate the bird's migration route, rest venues and the rest period.