The number of red-headed cranes coming to the southern province of Kien Giang this year has fell sharply, according to the Vietnam Crane Association.
The last count of red-headed cranes in Kien Giang in late February 2010 showed that the number of rare birds reduced sharply, even in the peak season.
Kien Luong district, the major place for cranes, had no red-headed crane at the time of counting.
Meanwhile, Giang Thanh, a new home for cranes, had only 28 heads, a drop of over 100 compared to early February and equivalent to 13.2 percent of 2009.
These small numbers of red-headed cranes have not maintained their habitat in Kien Giang because of environmental changes.
The Kien Giang Department of Science and Technology promised that zooligists and area government officials have made great efforts to maintain and attract more cranes by restoring pastures. Yet the rising impact of industrial and agricultural production, especially in Kien Luong province, has reduced the number of birds.
The red-headed crane is one of the largest of its kind, standing approximately 1.75m tall and weighing 8.7kg. The birds have an average wingspan of 2.5m. These cranes, once prevalent in all of Southeast Asia, can now only be found in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. It is estimated that over 200 of the birds live in An Giang, Dong Thap, Kien Giang and Dak Lak provinces in Vietnam.