Spectacular Demoiselle Cranes in Rajasthan

Fri 23rd Jan, 2026

On the 14th January 2026 I witnessed one of the most spectacular sights I have ever seen as tens of thousands of Demoiselle Cranes (known as Kurjan in Rajasthan) arrived to feed in the small village of Khichan just after dawn.

Photographing Demoiselle Cranes 14 January

All the best wildlife experiences in my life have been multi-sensory. The sweet scent of incense hung in the air as the first sounds of honking cranes rang in my ears.

Demoiselle Cranes at dawn 14 January © Richard Baines

As the sun rose hundreds of birds flew overhead arriving from the east. They continued beyond the village to a regular pre-breakfast staging ground. Around 20 minutes later the first groups flew low over the tops of the houses towards me. I remember thinking about the villagers and what it must be like to live in a place where huge noisy birds circle your house every morning.

Demoiselle Cranes 14 January © Richard Baines

Checking for danger the cranes circled the compound below me. I could see the long lines of grain laid out for them in the village enclosure. After what seemed like a long time the first groups of birds plucked up courage to land in the paddock.

Demoiselle Cranes 14 January © Richard Baines

At that point the sky was full of the sight and sound of cranes arriving from every direction, I very quickly stopped counting!

Mr Sevaram's notebook

Sevaram Malli Parihar, a building contractor, has been voluntarily feeding and counting these cranes for over 30 years. He keeps daily handwritten meticulous records of arrival times, numbers etc. He is totally dedicated to these birds.

Mr Sevaram's rooftop viewpoint

I stood on the roof of his house where he has a simple display of books and his many conservation awards.

Demoiselle Cranes 14 January © Richard Baines

He not only counts and feeds the birds daily but most critically he works on ensuring their safety in the village. He once noticed that high-voltage electricity poles had been erected around the feeding grounds. After his complaints were ignored, he threatened to go on a hunger strike and was subsequently fined Rs. 4,27,890 by the electricity board. With the backing of the Rajasthan Forest Department, he won his case and the poles were removed.

Demoiselle Cranes 14 January © Richard Baines

A second major success then came after he noticed that cranes were dying in the village. Tests revealed pesticide poisoning. He immediately started negotiating with local farmers to stop using these chemicals. His current campaign involves persuading the electricity company to have all cables insulated to reduce the risk of electrocution. Below his rooftop I could see his crane ambulance donated to him by the local government. Sevaram Malli Parihar is a passionate conservation hero.

Demoiselle Cranes 14 January © Richard Baines

These Demoiselle Cranes travel thousands of miles from Central Asia to the Thar Desert in NW India every autumn and leave back north in March. Their breeding success depends on winter survival. Sevaram is making a huge difference for these birds.

Demoiselle Cranes 14 January © Richard Baines

Demoiselle Cranes 14 January © Richard Baines

After making a donation to his amazing project and after several hours watching the cranes feeding, I was also getting hungry! Later in the morning I visited the two lakes on the edge of the village: Vijaysagar and Raatdi Naadi. I didn’t expect to be blown away again by the experience but right in front of me were thousands of Demoiselle Cranes drinking from the lakes and loafing around enjoying the mid-morning sunshine. Another amazing sight!

Demoiselle Cranes 14 January © Richard Baines

Demoiselle Cranes 14 January © Richard Baines

Trying to find room amongst the long legs of the cranes were small numbers of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse and waders such as Black-winged Stilts, Green and Common Sandpipers.

This had been one of my most memorable wildlife encounters and a wonderfully inspiring conservation story.

To find out more and help wildlife conservation projects in India visit ‘Sanctury Nature Foundation’ CLICK HERE

To find out more about Khichan International RAMSAR Wetland site CLICK HERE

Richard Baines

Director & Wildlife Guide, Yorkshire Coast Nature