Over 5,000 grey cranes have found a seasonal refuge in the winter fields of Tiemenguan, located on the edge of China’s Taklimakan Desert in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In Jinshan Town, around 4,000 hectares of recently harvested farmland are now alive with the sight of these elegant birds.

The fields, sown with corn and edible sunflowers, provide leftover grains that serve as an abundant winter food source. Combined with Xinjiang’s relatively mild and dry winter climate, the area has become an ideal stopover for these nationally protected migratory birds.

Cranes will remain here through the cold months, gradually departing around March. At peak times, the number of wintering cranes in Jinshan Town can approach 10,000, offering locals and visitors a rare and enchanting glimpse of wildlife thriving at the desert’s edge.

Source: China Central Television