The Past, Present and Future of the Common Crane (Grus grus) in Poland

In Poland, it is highly probable that in past centuries, Common Cranes (Grus grus) were widespread all over the country. In the 19th century, a particularly dramatic decline in this population took place when Common Cranes abandoned many regions. At present, this species inhabits the whole of lowland Poland, only avoiding the uplands and mountainous regions in the south of the country. The rate of population growth between 2001 and 2018 was c. 5% per annum. The breeding population increased tenfold in the 30 years from 1990 to 2020. The results of the Polish Bird Monitoring Programme in 2018–2020 show that Common Crane numbers had stabilized. The latest count (2013–2018) of breeding pairs in Poland is 23,000–30,000, while that for the years 2010–2012 was 20,000–22,000, i.e., 15% of the European population or 19% of the breeding population in the EU. The greatest threats to the Polish Common Crane population come from habitat and climate changes, two factors that are inextricably interlinked. Experts are alerting that climate warming, in combination with increased pressure from human activities, can, in the long term, reverse this trend and lead to declines in Common Crane populations in this part of Europe.