Black-necked cranes are large, elegant birds — standing about 130 centimetres tall, which is about as tall as an average ten-year-old. They have white bodies, a black neck and head, and a small red patch on top like a tiny crown. They arrive in Phobjikha in late autumn in big flocks, circling slowly down into the valley as local families watch from their farmhouse windows. By spring, they fly back north.
The people of Phobjikha have a long tradition of caring for the cranes. There are no electric power lines in the core area of the valley so that migrating birds do not fly into wires. Farmers avoid using pesticides that could harm the cranes. Children at the local school learn about crane ecology and help count the birds every year. The community celebrates the cranes with a special festival called the Black-Necked Crane Festival every November.
Beyond the cranes, Phobjikha is a magical place at any time of year. In summer the valley is carpeted with wildflowers and boggy marshland where frogs call at night. Yaks graze on the hillsides. On clear days, the snow peaks of the Himalayas are visible above the rim of the valley. Hiking paths wind between traditional farmhouses with carved wooden windows and stone walls.