"As the Russian invasion rages on, two species of crane make their annual migration into ancestral habitats that have become a battlefield."
"This spring, as Russian missiles and drones continued to rain destruction upon Ukraine, a more hopeful symbol appeared in the skies about the embattled nation.
The cranes had returned.
Every March and April, these elegant, long-necked birds migrate into the marshes, lakes and steppes of Ukraine, where they build nests and spend several months resting and eating before flying off for winter. Two crane species arrive each year: the common or gray crane (Grus grus) and the demoiselle or steppe crane (G. virgo). The critically endangered Siberian crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) has also been known to visit the country.
The cranes’ annual spring arrival is normally cause for celebration in Ukraine."
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