Understanding the habitat use and spatial distribution of wildlife can helpconservationists determine high-priority areas and enhance conservation efforts.We studied the wintering habitat use, preference, and utilization distribution of twocrane species, that is, the black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis, Przevalski, 1876) andcommon crane (Grus grus, Linnaeus, 1758), in Huize National Natural Reserve,Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, southwestern China. Line transects indicated thatanthropogenic farmland habitat was highly utilized and was positively selected byboth crane species (>90% of flocks observed for both species). Black-necked cranespreferred marshland in spring (February and March) but avoided grassland duringthe entire wintering period, whereas common cranes avoided both marshland andgrassland throughout the entire period. The two cranes species had communalnightly roosting sites and separate daily foraging sites. Black-necked cranes weredistributed within two km (1.89 ± 0.08 km) of the roosting site, covering an area of283.84 ha, with the core distribution area encompassing less than 100 ha. In contrast,common cranes were distributed far from the roosting site (4.38 ± 0.11 km), coveringan area of 558.73 ha, with the core distribution area encompassing 224.81 ha. Thus,interspecies competition may have influenced the habitat preference and spatialdistribution divergence of these two phylogenetically related species. This studyshould help guide habitat management as well as functional zoning development andadjustment in the future. Based on our results, we recommend restoration ofadditional wetlands, retention of large areas of farmland, and protection of areas thatcranes use most frequently.