Effects of human disturbance on the Hooded Crane (Grus monacha) at stopover sites in northeastern China

There is a lack of information of whether the behavior pattern and physical condition of the Hooded Crane (Grus monacha) have been limited by conditions encountered at stopover sites in Changgou village, which is adjacent to Zhalong Nature Reserve in northeastern China, one of the most important stopover sites of this crane. The objective of our research was to investigate the impact of human-caused disturbances on the Hooded Cranes. We investigated three behavior activities of the Hooded Cranes, i.e., flying time, flushing distance and the duration of vigilance. The results indicate that the auditory stimuli caused by local people provoked the most pronounced disturbances to the Hooded Crane. Human-caused disturbances not only frequently interrupt the feeding process of the cranes, but also lead to an increase of 200% in the duration of their vigilance and a significant increase in flying time from 0.4 to 0.7 h (p < 0.05). In addition, high-intensity noise can cause larger flushing distances; foraging cranes will flush away by about 600 m when disturbed by the honking of vehicles. Whistles or shouts by local farmers in the field generated the largest sound intensity, about 120 dB, which caused a flushing distance of over 700 m. In order to reduce the negative effect of human-caused disturbances on these cranes, it is imperative to define a buffer zone around sensitive areas during the fall stopover period. To solve the conflict between the interest of farmers and the demand for crops on the part of the cranes requires financial compensation to the farmers for the crops consumed by the Hooded Crane in order to enhance the conservation of this vulnerable bird species.