Migratory Demoiselle cranes from Russia and Mongolia have arrived in large numbers in the southern Indian state of Karnataka for the first time since 2003. The birds fly right above the Himalayas to an altitude of 4,875-7,925 meters. “Many predators like Golden Eagles on mountain cliffs wait to feed on these birds, thus it is ecologically significant that so many of them should reach south India this year,” said an Indian working for the International Crane Foundation.

In another Mongolian connection, two bar-headed geese tagged by well- known wildlife veterinarian Martin Gilbert have also made it to Karnataka. They were tagged in Mongolia to study how avian influenza spreads.