The critically endangered Siberian Crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) name comes directly from the bird's breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra of Siberia, Russia. A large, snow-white bird, distinguished by its black wingtips, a bare brick-red facial mask, and reddish-pink legs, it is the most aquatic of all cranes, nesting on mounds in shallow water and spending much of its time in wetlands, moss-covered marshland, and tidal bogs. Siberian cranes have two disconnected populations. The eastern population breeds in north-eastern Siberia and winters in China's Yangtze River basin – a journey of up to 5,000 km. The western population breeds in West Siberia and winters along the Caspian Sea coast in Iran.
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