On 10 May 2025, the Ministry of Environment of Cambodia and NatureLife Cambodia, with support from BirdLife International and Mandai Nature, released a new mini-documentary to showcase Crane Rice, an ongoing initiative for biodiversity-friendly rice agriculture, in conjunction with the 2025 World Migratory Bird Day celebrations on their Facebook pages. The production showcases both the successes and ongoing challenges of this three-year long conservation programme to engage local people, while promoting the conservation of migratory species including the Sarus Crane (Antigone antigone).
The Sarus Crane (kh: sat kriel សត្វក្រៀល) is among the most iconic large waterbirds in Southeast Asia. The Crane is highly regarded by human communities in the region and is even portrayed in art and architecture from the Angkor period. However, it has undergone a drastic decline across much of Southeast Asia. Today, it is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In Cambodia, Sarus Cranes breeding in the Northern and Eastern plains migrate to the Lower Mekong Delta of Cambodia and Vietnam, and the wetlands of the Tonle Sap floodplains annually. According to the 2024 national census, only 178 individuals were recorded. Researchers noted that this is a steep decline of a much larger population just over a decade ago, likely driven by a high mortality rate and reduced nesting success.
The Crane Rice initiative was established in 2019 to promote biodiversity-friendly rice farming practices that protect critical crane habitat while enhancing the livelihoods of local communities through reducing the use of agrochemicals and preserving wetland ecosystems.
World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is a campaign designed to raise awareness of the need to conserve migratory birds and their habitats, convened twice each year in May and October.
The Crane Rice documentary is a fitting celebration of the 2025 WMBD theme of ‘Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities’.