The Black-necked Crane or Tibetan Crane (Grus nigricollis) is a medium-sized crane native to Asia. It is 139 cm (55 in) long with a 235 cm (7.8 ft) wingspan, and it weighs 5.5 kg (12 lbs). It is whitish-gray, with a black head, red crown patch, black upper neck and legs, and white patch to the rear of the eye. It has black primaries and secondaries. Both sexes are similar.

The Black-necked Crane is distributed in Pakistan, China, Himalayan regions of the Republic of India, Bhutan and Vietnam. It breeds on the Tibetan Plateau, with a small population in adjacent Ladakh, and Kashmir valleys. It has therefore been designated as the “State bird of Jammu and Kashmir”. It has six wintering areas, mostly at lower altitudes in China, notably at Caohai Lake, but it also winters in Bhutan. In Jammu and Kashmir, the crane breeds near the high altitude lakes of Ladakh such as Tso Kar Lake. The Black-necked Crane is one of the spiritual creatures for the people of the area and is pictured alongside many of their deities in the monasteries of the region.