National Geographic, November 5 2013

The airplane passenger of the month for October was an unusual breed of traveler, one who gratefully received first-class airfare even though the ticket sent him more than 2,000 km out of his way. He was trying to head south for the winter, got lost along the way, and has ended up with winter accommodations near Moscow—not quite the ideal warm-weather destination.

But this is no ordinary traveler. He and five of his pals tried this trip last year as well, and received an escort from the President of Russia, who was flying an ultralight plane of all things!

The passenger’s name is Raven, even though he is a Siberian Crane. The breeding grounds for his species lie in northern Siberia, and they travel the longest migratory route of any crane. While Raven’s attempted migration targeted a new wintering area that scientists are trying to establish in Uzbekistan, about 98 to 99 percent of what’s left of the species spends its winters at the shores of China’s largest freshwater lake, Poyang Hu, according to Claire Mirande, Senior Director of Conservation Networking for the International Crane Foundation (ICF).

Other populations of the crane spent their winters in Iran and India, but hunting in countries throughout the crane’s migration routes has mostly wiped out them out.