Foraging behaviour of Siberian Cranes in lotus pond habitats surrounding Poyang Lake

Siberian Crane（Grus leucogeranus） is a large-sized, endangered waterbird, with about 95% of its global population（about 3500-4000 individuals） seasonally occurring in Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China. This species is listed in the First Category of National Key Protected Wildlife Species in China, and as critically endangered by the IUCN（International Union for Conservation of Nature）. Prior to 2010, the population of Siberian Cranes in China existed mainly within Poyanghu National Nature Reserve, with most cranes foraging in the natural habitat of Poyang Lake. However, an increasing number of cranes now forage in lotus ponds and rice fields that surround this lake; their distribution has also expanded into other nature reserves, such as Nanjishan Wetland National Nature Reserve. The numbers of these cranes in the lotus pond habitats can at times be more than 25%（about 1200 individuals） of the total global population. However, very less is known about the foraging strategies of the Siberian C