The population of rare Black-necked Cranes wintering in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region this year hit a record high at 6,900, 3,000 more than recorded in 1992, a recent survey found.

The January 2007 joint survey by the Tibet Plateau Institute of Biology and the International Crane Foundation also found close to 32,000 Bar-headed Geese, more than double the population of 15 years ago, in Tibet.

At a time when most Asian water birds were declining, this discovery was especially surprising, survey officials said.

Unlike most of China's large wildlife, the Black-necked Cranes live very close to people, descending from alpine meadows to winter in farming areas of nearby valleys, the research team reported.

"The farmlands in southern Tibet provide a perfect combination of harvested grain fields for feeding and rivers for nighttime roosting," said Professor Tsamchu Drolma from the Tibet Plateau Institute of Biology and co-leader of the expedition.

The team of researchers covered more than 2,600 kilometers over 11 days, searching Lhasa, Yarlung, and Nyang River valleys and their tributaries for the birds.

"We were delighted by how the numbers have grown. The creation of the Yarlung Zangbo River Middle Reaches Black-necked Crane Nature Reserve along with better wildlife protection by the Tibet Forestry Department and public awareness has made a big difference for both of these species," said Dr Mary Anne Bishop, expedition leader from the International Crane Foundation.

Over 76 percent of the cranes and 48 percent of the geese were found within boundaries of the new nature reserve, according to the survey.

(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2007)