Siberian Cranes at Momoge: Migration and Food

A stopover is a working part of migration

For Siberian Cranes, Momoge is a migration stopover: they feed, rest and regain energy before continuing along their route. That distinction matters because a migratory stopover has a different purpose from a nesting area: food must be accessible at the right time, while a sequence of other wetlands must remain usable farther along the flight path.

White cranes with black wing tips fly above a larger group standing in shallow water. — Cranes taking flight over the shallows at Momoge. The official scenic gallery identifies the pictured birds as Siberian cranes.

Aquatic plants on the crane’s menu

At Momoge, an official 2024 report identifies aquatic-plant rhizomes as food for white cranes.

White and brown cranes wade in shallow blue water beside a dense bank of golden reeds. — Cranes feeding in the shallows at Momoge, beside a band of golden reeds. The official scenic gallery labels them Siberian cranes.

Spring and autumn surveys show the stopover’s scale

A 2023 National Forestry and Grassland Administration overview places Momoge’s spring migration window from mid-March to mid-May and autumn passage from mid-September to early November. It reports that daily Siberian Crane counts at migration peak exceeded 3,200 at least once during the preceding decade.

An April 2024 People’s Daily report, republished by Jilin’s Ecology and Environment Department, recorded 308 Siberian Cranes and 1,700 Common Cranes (Grus grus) at the reserve during spring passage. These are dated observations from that survey.