Kina, The Kurja

As the month of August began, the flock of Kurja birds (Demoiselle Cranes) prepared to escape the extreme cold of Mongolia. They decided to migrate to their favourite winter destination—a small village in Rajasthan called Khichan.

- Bimal Raval

Even though Kurjas are the smallest species in the crane family, they are truly graceful. When a Kurja spreads its blue-grey wings, they can reach up to five feet across! Their contrasting wing colour, along with their black necks and legs, gives them a unique look. Long, feathery white plumes that grow from behind their bright red eyes make them even more striking.

The Mongolian flock flew over 3,000 kilometres in one continuous journey to reach Khichan. Every year, they spend almost six months there. Thousands of Kurjas, led by the female birds with the younger ones in the centre and the males guarding the rear, arrived from Eurasia and China.

The villagers were delighted to see the flocks returning. They cleaned the Chugga Ghar, a special bird-feeding place spread over 5,000 square metres. Fresh supplies of wheat, jowar, millets and watermelon seeds were stored and made ready for their guests.

The next morning, before sunrise, the Kurjas flew to the sand dunes. After gathering there, they marched towards the Chugga Ghar in a very disciplined and calm manner. There, they had watermelon seeds and millets for breakfast. After their meal, they drank water and played in the small ponds near the Chugga Ghar. Some returned to the sand dunes to rest or perform their elegant mating dances. Others were seen snoozing, taking short naps. In the late afternoon, they returned for wheat and jowar grains for lunch. By evening, they flew back to their safe roosting spots—the shallow water bodies or sandy patches.