Journal · Wangdue Phodrang
Phobjikha and the black-necked cranes
The wide Phobjikha valley, winter home of the black-necked cranes, and the centre where you learn about them.
The cranes
Black-necked cranes fly over the Himalaya from Tibet to spend the winter here. They arrive from late October and leave by mid February. Locals say they circle Gangtey Goenpa three times when they arrive and when they leave.
Protecting them
The Royal Society for Protection of Nature runs the centre and has counted the cranes here since the late 1980s. The power lines in the valley run underground so the birds do not fly into them. The marsh has been a Ramsar wetland of international importance since 2014.
Before you go
Watch the film, use the telescopes, and ask the staff what they saw this morning. The crane festival, started in 1998, is held at Gangtey Goenpa on 11 November.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Phobjikha Valley
- Lonely Planet: Black-Necked Crane Information Centre
- Truly Bhutan: Black-necked Crane Festival
Checked October 2026. Where sources disagree, we say so or leave the detail out. Opening times and rules change, so your guide confirms on the day.