Common Crane
WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre.
What3Words
///trailers.ripen.grownup
The Common Crane (Grus grus), also known as the Eurasian crane, is a large, graceful, migratory bird with a distinctive trumpeting call that is widespread across Europe and Asia. Known for its elaborate courtship dances and conservation success story in areas where it had previously become extinct, it is classified as a species of Least Concern globally.
Key Characteristics and Appearance:
Size:
As the UK's tallest bird, the common crane stands around 110–120 cm (about 4 feet) tall, with a large wingspan of 220–250 cm (7-8 feet).
Plumage:
It is mostly slate-grey, with a black and white head and upper neck, and a notable bare red patch on its crown.
Distinctive Feature:
Adults have elegant, drooping, curved tail feathers (actually elongated inner wing feathers or tertials) that form a "bustle".
In Flight:
Unlike herons, cranes fly with their long necks and legs fully outstretched. They often travel in large, V-shaped formations and can reach astonishing altitudes of up to 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) during migration.
Habitat and Diet:
Common cranes are highly adaptable, inhabiting a variety of wetlands, including bogs, marshes, and swampy forest clearings during the breeding season. During migration and winter, they often gather in large flocks in open areas, such as agricultural fields and floodplains, where they can forage for food and roost in shallow water for safety.
They are omnivorous, with their diet changing seasonally. They primarily eat plant matter like roots, seeds, and grains, supplementing this with animal prey such as insects, snails, amphibians, and small rodents, especially when breeding and feeding their young.
Behavior and Life Cycle
Sociality:
Common cranes are territorial during the breeding season but become very social, forming large flocks during migration and wintering.
Courtship:
They are famous for their elaborate "dances," which involve bobs, bows, pirouettes, and throwing vegetation in the air. This behavior serves to reinforce lifelong monogamous pair bonds and can occur at almost any time of year.
Reproduction:
Pairs typically lay one or two eggs in a large nest built on the ground in shallow water. Both parents incubate the eggs for about a month, and the chicks fledge around 9-10 weeks of age, remaining with their parents through their first winter.
Lifespan:
In the wild, they typically live for about 13 years on average, though they can reach up to 26 years.
Common Crane
WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre.
What3Words
///trailers.ripen.grownup
The Common Crane (Grus grus), also known as the Eurasian crane, is a large, graceful, migratory bird with a distinctive trumpeting call that is widespread across Europe and Asia. Known for its elaborate courtship dances and conservation success story in areas where it had previously become extinct, it is classified as a species of Least Concern globally.
Key Characteristics and Appearance:
Size:
As the UK's tallest bird, the common crane stands around 110–120 cm (about 4 feet) tall, with a large wingspan of 220–250 cm (7-8 feet).
Plumage:
It is mostly slate-grey, with a black and white head and upper neck, and a notable bare red patch on its crown.
Distinctive Feature:
Adults have elegant, drooping, curved tail feathers (actually elongated inner wing feathers or tertials) that form a "bustle".
In Flight:
Unlike herons, cranes fly with their long necks and legs fully outstretched. They often travel in large, V-shaped formations and can reach astonishing altitudes of up to 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) during migration.
Habitat and Diet:
Common cranes are highly adaptable, inhabiting a variety of wetlands, including bogs, marshes, and swampy forest clearings during the breeding season. During migration and winter, they often gather in large flocks in open areas, such as agricultural fields and floodplains, where they can forage for food and roost in shallow water for safety.
They are omnivorous, with their diet changing seasonally. They primarily eat plant matter like roots, seeds, and grains, supplementing this with animal prey such as insects, snails, amphibians, and small rodents, especially when breeding and feeding their young.
Behavior and Life Cycle
Sociality:
Common cranes are territorial during the breeding season but become very social, forming large flocks during migration and wintering.
Courtship:
They are famous for their elaborate "dances," which involve bobs, bows, pirouettes, and throwing vegetation in the air. This behavior serves to reinforce lifelong monogamous pair bonds and can occur at almost any time of year.
Reproduction:
Pairs typically lay one or two eggs in a large nest built on the ground in shallow water. Both parents incubate the eggs for about a month, and the chicks fledge around 9-10 weeks of age, remaining with their parents through their first winter.
Lifespan:
In the wild, they typically live for about 13 years on average, though they can reach up to 26 years.