Asia and Australia Earthflight


Asia and Australia

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It's a universal dream to fly like a bird.

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To soar on wings into the heavens.

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But it's nothing compared to the reality.

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This is our planet seen as never before.

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A bird's eye view.

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Theirs is a journey that covers the world...

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..filled with astonishing natural events...

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..extreme challenges...

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..and hard-won rewards.

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This is the world on the wing.

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It's autumn across the northern steppes of Asia

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and flocks of demoiselle cranes are heading south for the winter.

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It's a race against time,

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as they must reach India before winter closes in.

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Blocking their path is the Himalayas,

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the highest mountain range on Earth.

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It's a barrier that extends for 1,500 miles

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and, in places, soars five miles high.

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Flying over the top isn't an option.

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The only way through is a treacherous maze

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of valleys and canyons.

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Each year, thousands of cranes negotiate a pass

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that leads them 200 miles to the other side.

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They have a huge challenge ahead of them.

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Many will not make it out alive.

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Already they face danger - bad weather is closing in.

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They gain height to face the challenge,

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but they are battling against a headwind.

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No matter how hard they try, they make little progress.

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It's the last thing they need so early in their journey.

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The wind stops them in their tracks, forcing them to fly lower and lower.

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On the valley floor, villages nestle in the most sheltered spots.

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It's here that the cranes find refuge.

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They mustn't hang around for long.

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If winter comes early, they won't make it out alive.

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These cranes aren't the only ones attempting the journey.

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Above are some of nature's most skilled high-fliers.

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Five miles above the face of the Earth,

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bar-headed geese take on the Himalayas...the hard way.

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Here, the temperature plummets to -40 degrees

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and the air is so thin most animals would die within minutes.

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But these extreme aeronauts take it in their stride.

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They could climb to twice this height and still survive.

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Their blood can absorb oxygen better than any other bird -

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a real help in this rarefied air.

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Bar-headed geese cross the vast mountain range in just a few hours.

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Ahead lies their winter destination -

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the warm lowlands of the Indian subcontinent.

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They've spent the summer

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on the sparsely inhabited steppes of Siberia.

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Now they are heading for the second most populated country on Earth.

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The "Blue City" of Jodhpur in Rajasthan

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is one of the first landmarks that migrating birds encounter.

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Long-legged buzzards are among the early arrivals

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and they are desperately in need of a meal.

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Compared to the barren steppes,

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this landscape of roads and buildings is actually a land of plenty.

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The famous Mehrangarh Fort is home to the buzzard's favourite prey.

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By gaining height, he can study their movements.

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Pigeons love this ancient citadel.

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Their ancestors would have nested on cliff faces.

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Nowadays, these battlements offer superior accommodation.

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But even in the midst of the city,

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the pigeons can't escape their natural predators.

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The buzzard dives at the masses.

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The pigeons take evasive action, falling like leaves.

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A single bird makes a far easier target.

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But he drops out of reach.

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The fort's defences provide vital bolt-holes.

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But he's not called the long-legged buzzard for nothing.

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Although all he gets this time is a fistful of feathers.

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He checks another pigeonhole.

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But nothing.

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He's spoilt for choice.

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So many pigeons, but which one to go for?

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The pigeons all use the same tactic.

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He needs to up his game.

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He soars high to find a likely victim.

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And dives at over 100mph.

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It will be a welcome meal after such a long journey to get here.

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Pigeons have succeeded by learning to adapt to our way of life.

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They are now found on every continent except Antarctica.

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As well as a few humble pigeons,

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Australia boasts a colourful selection of native birds

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that have also taken to urban living.

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More species of parrot live here than in any other continent.

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A dazzling array of over 50 varieties.

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As well as in Sydney,

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rainbow lorikeets are found all along Australia's east coast.

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The popular Gold Coast is also one of their favourite locations.

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These cheeky birds have adapted their lifestyle to our own

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and now prefer the sweet delights of city parks and gardens.

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They can't resist ripe fruit, especially the cultivated varieties.

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After a spot of scrumping, their thoughts turn to romance.

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The males try to impress the opposite sex by clowning around.

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It usually works.

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Parrots have proved very successful at breeding in our backyards.

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Even in the outback,

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parrots have multiplied by living on our free handouts.

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Cockatoos - thousands upon thousands of them.

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They form huge raiding parties, laying waste the farms

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and agricultural fields that bring riches to an otherwise barren land.

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A life of petty theft means living on their wits.

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They are the most intelligent pest a farmer is likely to encounter.

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But one of the most familiar parrots of all lives a blameless existence

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right in the heart of the outback.

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Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock,

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lies at the very centre of the continent.

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It's remote spots like these that the budgerigar calls home.

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This tiny parrot is the most popular of all pet birds

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but, in the wild, it lives far from human company

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in some of the driest parts of the outback.

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For much of the time they flit around in small groups

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just a few hundred strong,

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sharing information on where the best food and water can be found.

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These small search parties look for the wild grass seeds

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that make up the budgie's staple diet.

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Grazing animals such as kangaroos

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show where ripe grasses are most likely to be found.

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The budgies also watch what other flocks of birds are getting up to.

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Gradually, the merry band gathers followers.

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Soon, it numbers many thousands.

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Then it grows to millions.

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This is one of the largest flocks of budgerigars ever seen.

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They now act like a super-organism,

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pooling their knowledge to find the best sources of food and water.

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With so many minds working together,

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they have an overview of vast areas of the outback.

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And, finally, they hit the jackpot.

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A remote waterhole.

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Wave upon wave take turns to drink.

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Each bird has just seconds to swallow what it can

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before another drops in to take its place.

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But, wherever birds gather, so do their predators.

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Black falcons take up residence,

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confident that each day food will land right on their doorstep.

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But thirsty budgerigars give them a run for their money.

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Budgies can perform some of the fastest manoeuvres of any bird.

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They are so skilled, they even sneak in a drink between attacks.

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It drops like a stone just before the grab.

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Again it falls, just out of reach.

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Turning on a dime, it out-flies the falcon time and time again.

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Despite their best efforts, the falcon and his partner go hungry.

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A waterhole gives the budgies a break from wandering,

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but once the local grasses have been plundered

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the huge flocks will split into small roaming parties once more.

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Back in the Himalayas, the weather has cleared.

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The downed cranes have survived the days of bad weather

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by raiding farmers' fields.

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Himalayan villages have inadvertently become a lifeline

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for migrating birds that run out of luck.

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But the crane's presence isn't welcomed here.

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The travellers are pushed further down the valley.

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As the sun appears, the dry riverbed creates eddies of rising hot air.

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They feel the welcome breeze and open their wings to catch it.

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The demoiselles begin to levitate upwards, as if by magic.

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With clear skies and a light wind, it seems their luck has changed.

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But before them lies an even greater challenge -

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a Himalayan valley of death.

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Here, airborne predators patrol the canyon walls.

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They've been expecting the cranes.

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Golden eagles are among the waiting birds of prey.

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They launch a high-speed ambush from the heavens.

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The eagle singles out an exhausted crane.

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The eagle is part of a double act...

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..driving the crane into the talons of her mate.

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They're well-practiced at this manoeuvre.

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For the pair, it's now a game.

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The rest of the flock make their escape.

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But these hills have other eyes.

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Peregrine and lagger falcons are the next big challenge.

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Half the crane's size,

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they rely on speed and sheer force of impact to kill.

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But the crane reacts by dropping away,

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reducing the speed of any collision.

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The falcon's only hope is to knock it off balance.

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This young crane isn't out of the woods yet.

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She has been separated from her family

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and is alone and exhausted.

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Above, Himalayan vultures are starting to gather.

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At this time of year, they make a good living from birds that perish on migration.

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She'll need all the luck she can get if she is ever to see India.

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The remote Himalayas aren't the only place where vultures can be found.

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Back in Rajasthan,

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these scavengers can make a living without leaving town.

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Vultures were once a common sight over India.

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Today, Jodhpur is one of the few cities where they still make a home.

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Indian vultures now mostly live on roadkill,

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but, if this fails, they'll find food the old-fashioned way -

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waiting for one of India's most famous hunters to provide a meal.

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They can fly for miles with hardly a wing flap.

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The vulture's keen vision spots a tiger on the prowl.

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Deer are a tiger's favourite prey.

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And running deer ring the dinner bell.

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Dinner is served.

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But a vulture won't risk landing while the owner's around.

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They gather and wait their turn.

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But, suddenly, the tiger ups and leaves her prey.

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She must have other things on her mind.

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The vultures won't waste this golden opportunity.

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But the reason the tigress left soon becomes clear.

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She has young cubs.

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At three-months-old, the cubs have started to eat meat.

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It's time to give them a treat... if there's any left, that is.

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The vultures are good at bolting their food

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and retreating when the rightful owners arrive.

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TIGER ROARS

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This is no time for heroics.

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The tigress returns just in time.

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Her cubs won't go hungry today.

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Back in civilisation,

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the pigeons are also on the hunt for any scraps they can find.

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Their travels take them over some of the most magnificent sights in this part of India.

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The Palace of Winds in Jaipur.

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The Lake Palace of Udaipur.

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A favourite destination is one of the hundreds of temples that abound here.

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Below, a stream of people are arriving bearing gifts of food.

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Here, pigeons should reach Nirvana.

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But these offerings are not for lowly pigeons,

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they are for another scavenger.

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One revered by the visitors.

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Black rats.

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Over 6,000 live in Deshnok Temple.

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They are protected by the local people,

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who believe the rats are their reincarnated ancestors.

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It's tantalizing for the pigeons,

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as it's the black rats that get all the gifts.

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The rats enjoy their elevated status

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and feel confident enough to chase off the competition.

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To get a meal,

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pigeons must snatch it from under the noses of these exulted beings.

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If they can dodge the rats, there's plenty of food to be had.

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But this is easier said than done.

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Males box and fight each other for mating rights.

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There are rats everywhere,

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chasing each other and creating utter chaos.

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And there's only so much a pigeon can take.

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Having snatched some crumbs from the holy one's table,

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they take a break outside,

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but the temple forecourt has its own hazards.

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A steppe eagle is on the prowl.

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But this time the pigeons have some extra muscle.

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Hooded crows act as their bodyguards.

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They intercept anything that invades their airspace.

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They work as a mob, taking turns to harass the eagle.

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One nearly lands on its back.

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Eagles depend on surprise.

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Once he's been rumbled, he know he stands little chance of making a kill.

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With the eagle sent packing,

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the pigeons resume their never-ending quest for scraps.

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Back in the Himalayas, the young crane is on borrowed time.

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Overhead, lammergeiers join the other circling vultures.

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It would be suicide for the crane to continue the journey alone.

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She doesn't know the way.

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The scavengers have decided her days are numbered.

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But the migration season isn't over yet.

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Suddenly, another flock, delayed by the weather, appears on the horizon.

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It's just the help she needs.

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With them, she'll find safety in numbers.

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Together, they continue onwards through the pass.

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The worst part of the crane's journey is now over.

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Once the cranes put the Himalayas behind them,

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the final hurdle is the Great Thar Desert -

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a band stretching from Pakistan across North-West India.

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A procession makes its way across the drifting sands.

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These camel trains are just the start of something far bigger.

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Pushkar Fair - the greatest gathering of camels anywhere on Earth.

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Here, these "ships of the desert" are traded by local tribes.

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But, of course, wherever people gather, so do the pigeons.

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With so much animal feed around, this isn't their greatest challenge.

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In fact, for the next five days, they will have everything they could wish for.

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They just have to learn the camel's feeding times.

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Pigeons are endlessly adaptable. It's the secret of their success.

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For most of the time these pigeons scrape a living in desert towns

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but, once the yearly fair arrives, they join in the festivities.

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But everything comes with a price.

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A feral cat is on the prowl.

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This is no domestic moggy.

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Her hunting skills are essential for survival.

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At first, it all seems just too easy.

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But she soon realizes she must raise her game.

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Her hunting skills are as good as any tiger.

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They may not escape predators all the time,

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but by adapting to every aspect of human life,

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pigeons have become one of the most successful species on the planet.

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The mysterious, ancient landscape of China.

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The people here have a long association

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with some special birds that arrive each year.

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Swallows and swifts have been revered down the ages

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as bringers of peace and tranquillity.

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They are one of the very few animals

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that are welcomed into people's homes.

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Red rump swallows use the mud at the edge of paddy fields

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to construct their nests,

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but, as payback for being allowed to nest, the birds return the favour.

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The swallows hunt along the forested hillsides and rice fields for food,

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ridding the countryside of crop pests and biting insects.

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They are found throughout China.

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Many nest on the watchtowers of the Great Wall.

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Down the centuries, swifts have even been encouraged

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to nest in the ancient eaves of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

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A tradition that continues today.

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And amid the modern chaos of the ancient city of Xian,

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it's the ancient bell towers that swifts use to make their home.

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Here, they act as pest controllers, catching the wood-boring insects

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that could destroy these revered buildings.

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Their labours are repaid by tolerance and respect.

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Also in the Orient,

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Japan has taken other species of migrating birds to its heart.

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The onset of winter marks the arrival of whooper swans

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to the northern island of Hokkaido.

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They too are escaping the even harsher winters found in Siberia.

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They have travelled 2,000 miles to get here.

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But they have a problem.

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The lake they are returning to is frozen.

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They are one of the world's heaviest flying birds

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and usually rely on water to cushion their landing.

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Landing on ice requires an unfamiliar set of skills.

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Each bird has to rapidly devise his own technique.

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It's like water skiers trying to use their skis on snow.

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The huge webbed feet are mainly used as paddles

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but they also help spread the load when landing on water.

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On ice, they just get in the way.

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It can easily go horribly wrong.

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Where the ice has thawed, the swans make a more controlled landing.

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The water is warmed by hot springs from below,

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so it rarely freezes completely.

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It has become the favourite winter wonderland

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for most of the swans in Japan.

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They know that there will always be open water somewhere.

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Whooper swans pair for life and couples celebrate their arrival.

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But this doesn't stop single males trying to muscle in.

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Soon, peace is restored.

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The strength of the swans' relationship

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is displayed through the symmetry of their greeting.

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Above their heads, Japan's most revered bird is also arriving.

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Japanese cranes.

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The arrival of the cranes has been considered a symbol

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of good luck and fidelity for centuries.

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They are so admired,

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every winter the local people venture out on to the ice to feed them fish -

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a welcome handout in harsh times.

0:48:340:48:38

These gifts of kindness have seen the population of cranes grow

0:48:450:48:49

from just 33 in 1952 to over 1,200 today.

0:48:490:48:53

It's now such a prime spot, many have stopped migrating altogether.

0:48:570:49:02

The local crows have grown in number too.

0:49:030:49:07

But it's not all Zen serenity.

0:49:120:49:16

A red fox.

0:49:220:49:24

He can easily tackle a full-grown crane.

0:49:270:49:31

But the fox is not their only concern.

0:49:460:49:49

White-tailed eagles are gathering too.

0:49:490:49:52

In winter, these bird-hunters move inland from the coast.

0:49:520:49:57

Then the emperor of eagles arrives - a Steller's.

0:50:150:50:19

One of the biggest eagles in the world.

0:50:190:50:23

The cranes are outnumbered by some of their worst enemies

0:50:250:50:28

but none try to get away.

0:50:280:50:30

These brave birds are quite prepared to stand their ground.

0:50:300:50:35

They know they are not the eagle's real target.

0:50:410:50:45

For, here, a strange alliance has developed.

0:50:510:50:54

The predators have learnt to scavenge on the free handouts meant for the cranes.

0:50:540:50:59

In this surreal gathering, predators lay down their arms

0:51:310:51:35

and call a truce with their former prey.

0:51:350:51:39

It's a strange and temporary amnesty but one in which everyone benefits.

0:51:410:51:46

The change of behaviour of all these birds

0:52:070:52:10

is brought on by the nation's love of the Japanese crane.

0:52:100:52:14

Back in India, migrating demoiselle cranes

0:52:230:52:27

have also gained from the kindness of the local people.

0:52:270:52:30

They've travelled 2,000 miles to reach here.

0:52:380:52:41

In the past, many would have spread out across India.

0:52:410:52:44

But, today, 9,000 of these wetland birds

0:52:490:52:53

choose to converge on a town in the heart of the desert.

0:52:530:52:56

It's the last place on Earth you would expect them to go.

0:52:590:53:03

They circle over the town of Khichan, waiting for a sign.

0:53:280:53:33

And then below, in a barbed wire compound,

0:53:330:53:36

a local man scatters grain.

0:53:360:53:39

As ever, the pigeons won't miss out on free lunch,

0:53:460:53:49

even if the offerings aren't for them.

0:53:490:53:52

But it's the cranes that the villagers want to attract

0:53:570:54:01

and these visitors could hardly be more welcome.

0:54:010:54:04

These normally timid birds descend among the villagers

0:54:210:54:24

to collect their reward.

0:54:240:54:26

Like the Japanese, the people here treasure the return of the cranes,

0:54:360:54:40

scattering grain each day to encourage them down.

0:54:400:54:43

What was once a quick desert stop-over

0:54:470:54:50

has become a place to spend the entire winter.

0:54:500:54:54

The cranes have even changed their migration routes to converge on this welcoming spot.

0:55:000:55:05

They have been fed here for decades

0:55:060:55:08

and in the very centre of this desert town, they know they can find safe haven.

0:55:080:55:13

Now, so many birds come here,

0:55:170:55:19

they consume an extraordinary 5,000 kilos of grain each day.

0:55:190:55:25

The compound has been built for their protection.

0:55:260:55:30

And, on the other side of the fence,

0:55:300:55:32

a second shift of cranes waits in the wings.

0:55:320:55:35

Each knows its allotted dinner time.

0:55:380:55:41

When those inside have had their fill they change places,

0:55:460:55:49

leaping back over the fence and allowing the second sitting to begin.

0:55:490:55:53

In this most unlikely of places,

0:56:100:56:12

one of the greatest bird spectacles on Earth can be found.

0:56:120:56:17

It's a gathering that only exists

0:56:190:56:22

because of the villagers' devotion to the birds.

0:56:220:56:25

Back in Japan, tranquillity has been restored.

0:56:300:56:34

The cranes begin one of the most intricate

0:56:370:56:40

and beautiful courtship dances in the world.

0:56:400:56:43

Japanese cranes can live for 60 years or more,

0:56:580:57:02

making their partnerships among the most enduring of any bird.

0:57:020:57:06

These dances keep their relationship strong.

0:57:280:57:33

It's an event that has been encouraged

0:57:450:57:47

by a special partnership between birds and people.

0:57:470:57:51

It's relationships like these that have sustained countless species,

0:57:590:58:05

from the parrots of Australia to the vultures of Jodhpur.

0:58:050:58:09

Even the humble pigeon finds sanctuary

0:58:090:58:12

wherever man makes his home.

0:58:120:58:15

Next time, we will look at the close relationships

0:58:180:58:21

between birds and people

0:58:210:58:23

that allowed Earthflight to spread its wings and fly across the world.

0:58:230:58:29

Subtitling by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:58:440:58:48

E-mail [email protected]

0:58:480:58:51

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