Cranes are a family of large, long-legged, and long-necked birds that belong to the bird order Gruiformes and the bird family Gruidae. There are 15 species of cranes that are distributed over five continents.
These birds are known for their tapering form, long necks, and legs, and long secondary feathers on the wing that project over the tail.
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Most species have muted gray or white plumages, marked with black, and red bare patches on the face, but some species have vibrantly-colored wings and golden “crowns” of feathers.
Cranes are connected with wetlands, which are necessary for breeding and raising their juveniles. This article will provide an overview of the 15 types of crane birds, including their descriptions, habitats, behaviors, and diets.
15 Types Of Crane Birds
Eurasian (Common) Crane
The Common Crane, also known as the Eurasian Crane, is a medium-sized bird species that belongs to the family Gruidae and the bird order Gruiformes. It is the only crane species commonly found in Europe besides the Demoiselle Crane.
The Common Crane is one of the four crane species that are not currently classified as threatened with extinction or conservation dependent on the species level. These birds are diurnal and omnivorous, and they are semiaquatic wading birds that forage along shorelines and mudflats searching for small aquatic prey crawling or burrowing in the mud and sand.
The Common Crane is one of the tallest bird species found in Europe, with adults standing up to 1.3m (4.25ft) tall. These birds have a greyish-blue or straight grey plumage, and their wings are marked with black and red bare patches on the face.
The Common Crane is known for its intricate courtship display, in which pairs raise their wings and call to one another while bouncing up and down. Despite the species’ large numbers, local extinctions and extirpations have taken place in some areas of Europe.
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) is a large bird species that belongs to the family Gruidae and the bird order Gruiformes. These birds are mainly herbivorous, but their diet varies depending on availability. They feed on plants, grains, insects, small mammals, and invertebrates.
Sandhill Cranes breed in open wetland habitats surrounded by shrubs or trees, such as marshes, bogs, wet meadows, prairies, and burned-over aspen stands. They prefer habitats with standing water and gravitate toward the edges between wetland and upland habitats.
Sandhill Cranes winter in the southern United States and northern Mexico, roosting on shallow lakes or rivers at night and spending the day in irrigated croplands, pastures, grasslands, or wetlands.
These birds are diurnal and semiaquatic, foraging along shorelines and mudflats searching for small aquatic prey crawling or burrowing in the mud and sand. Sandhill Cranes are known for their unique and elaborate courtship dance, in which birds spread their wings, leap in the air, and call to one another.
Demoiselle Crane
The Demoiselle Crane (Grus virgo) is a species of crane that is found in central Eurosiberia, ranging from the Black Sea to Mongolia and Northeast China. There is also a small breeding population in Turkey.
These cranes are migratory birds, and birds from western Eurasia will spend the winter in Africa, while the birds from Asia, Mongolia, and China will spend the winter in the Indian subcontinent.
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The Demoiselle Crane is the smallest species of crane, with a length of 85-100 cm (33.5-39.5 in), a height of 76 cm (30 in), and a wingspan of 155-180 cm (61-71 in). It weighs 2-3 kg (4.4-6.6 lb).
The Demoiselle Crane has a light grey body, a black neck, fiery eyes, and pure white plumes extending out from behind the eyes. These birds are semiaquatic and forage along shorelines and mudflats searching for small aquatic prey crawling or burrowing in the mud and sand.
The Demoiselle Crane is known for its graceful and elegant appearance, and it is symbolically significant in the culture of India, where it is known as Koonj or Kurjaa.
Blue Crane
The Blue Crane (Anthropoides paradiseus), also known as the Stanley crane and the paradise crane, is a bird species that belongs to the family Gruidae and the bird order Gruiformes. It is the national bird of South Africa.
The Blue Crane is a tall, ground-dwelling bird, but is fairly small by the standards of the crane family. It is 100-120 cm (3 ft 3 in – 3 ft 11 in) tall, with a wingspan of 180-200 cm (5 ft 11 in – 6 ft 7 in) and weighs 3.6-6.2 kg (7.9-13.7 lb).
The Blue Crane has a uniform blue-gray plumage, and its legs and feet are black. Unlike most crane species, the Blue Crane does not possess red patches of scaly skin on its head that it uses extensively in threat displays.
The Blue Crane is an omnivore, and it feeds on a variety of food, including plants, grains, insects, small mammals, and invertebrates. The Blue Crane has the smallest range of any crane species, with 99% of the world’s 12,000 to 23,000 Blue Cranes living in South Africa.
These birds prefer to feed and nest in dry, grassy uplands and generally nest in high elevation grasslands, where there are fewer disturbances. The Blue Crane is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Wattled Crane
The Wattled Crane (Grus carunculata) is a large bird species that belongs to the family Gruidae and the bird order Gruiformes. It is found in wetlands and grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, ranging from Ethiopia to South Africa.
The Wattled Crane is a locally nomadic bird that prefers smaller perennial wetlands in alpine grasslands. These birds are large, with a long white neck, gray body, black undersides, and a bare red face with a black “cap”. They are named for the flaps of skin, or “wattles,” that dangle from their chins, which indicate their mood and shrink when they are agitated.
The Wattled Crane is an omnivore, and it feeds on a variety of food, including plants, grains, insects, small mammals, and invertebrates. These birds are known for their distinctive, rapid, screechy “Koorok-kreek” call.
The Wattled Crane is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with fewer than 10,000 mature individuals remaining in the wild.
Siberian Crane
The Siberian Crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus), also known as the Siberian white crane or the snow crane, is a bird species that belongs to the family Gruidae and the bird order Gruiformes. It is distinctive among the cranes, with adults being nearly all snowy white, except for their black primary feathers that are visible in flight.
The Siberian Crane has two breeding populations in the Arctic tundra of western and eastern Russia, and it is known for making the longest distance migrations among the cranes. The eastern populations migrate during winter to China, while the western population winters in Iran and (formerly) in Bharatpur, India.
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The Siberian Crane is the world’s third most endangered species of crane, with only one main population remaining in East Asia, and a few birds remaining in the historic Western/Central population. These birds are highly dependent on wetlands and are the most aquatic member of the Gruidae family.
The Siberian Crane is an omnivore, and it feeds on a variety of food, including plants, grains, insects, small mammals, and invertebrates.
The species is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with the likelihood that its global population will decline extremely rapidly over the next three generations following the development of the Three Gorges Dam, a large number of other dams on the Yangtze River and its tributaries, and now a proposed dam at the outlet to the Poyang lake in China which threatens the wintering grounds used by the vast majority of individuals.
Hooded Crane
The Hooded Crane (Grus monacha) is a crane species that is native to East Asia and is a frequent migratory bird in Japan. Here are some key facts about the Hooded Crane:
– Description: The Hooded Crane has a grey body, with the top of the neck and head being white, except for a patch of bare red skin above the eye. It is one of the smallest cranes, but is still a fairly large bird, at 1 m (3.3 ft) long, a weight of 3.7 kg (8.2 lb), and a wingspan of 1.87 m (6.1 ft).
– Distribution: The Hooded Crane breeds in south-central and southeastern Siberia, and breeding is also suspected to occur in Mongolia. Over 80% of its population winters at Izumi, southern Japan, and there are also wintering grounds in South Korea and China.
– Diet: The Hooded Crane is an omnivore, and it feeds on a variety of food, including plants, grains, insects, small mammals, and invertebrates.
– Threats: The Hooded Crane is threatened by habitat loss with drainage of wetlands and dam-building. Rice fields disappear little by little, converted into cotton fields, and pollution by pesticides and human disturbances are also important threats. The high concentration of cranes at feeding-stations involves the risk of disease. In addition, this species has a very restricted range.
– Conservation status: The Hooded Crane is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a population of 14,500-16,000 individuals.
Whooping Crane
The Whooping Crane (Grus americana) is a bird species that belongs to the family Gruidae and the bird order Gruiformes. Here are some key facts about the Whooping Crane:
– Description: The Whooping Crane is the tallest bird in North America, with a height of nearly 5 feet (1.5 m) and a wingspan of 7.5 feet (2.3 m). It has a slender body, long neck, and long legs, with a stout, straight bill. The Whooping Crane is white with rust-colored patches on top and back of the head, lacks feathers on both sides of the head, has yellow eyes, and has long, black legs and bills.
– Distribution: The Whooping Crane breeds in the wetlands of Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Canada and spends the winter on the Texas coast at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge near Rockport. The species is also known to migrate more than 2,400 miles a year.
– Diet: The Whooping Crane is an omnivore, and it feeds on a variety of food, including plants, grains, insects, small mammals, and invertebrates.
– Threats: The Whooping Crane is listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a population of fewer than 1,000 individuals. The species has been threatened by habitat loss, hunting, and egg collecting.
– Conservation status: The Whooping Crane is listed as Endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the IUCN. Conservation efforts have led to a partial recovery of the species, with the total number of cranes in the surviving population increasing to over 800 individuals.
Black Crowned Crane
The Black Crowned Crane (Balearica pavonina) is a bird species that belongs to the family Gruidae and the bird order Gruiformes. Here are some key facts about the Black Crowned Crane:
– Description: The Black Crowned Crane is a distinctive and beautiful crane, with a mostly blackish body, a pale wing panel, a pale pink-and-white cheek patch, and a bizarre golden crown of bristle-like feathers on its head. It is a medium-sized crane, with a length of 100-120 cm (3.3-3.9 ft), a wingspan of 180-200 cm (5.9-6.6 ft), and a weight of 3.5-5 kg (7.7-11 lb).
– Distribution: The Black Crowned Crane is found in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal and Gambia in the west to Sudan and South Africa in the east. It is usually found in the shallow wetlands of sub-Saharan Africa during the wet season, which act as its principal breeding, feeding, and roosting sites, although it can also be found foraging in grasslands and near croplands of dry savanna.
– Diet: The Black Crowned Crane is an omnivore, and it feeds on a variety of food, including plants, grains, insects, small mammals, and invertebrates.
– Threats: The Black Crowned Crane is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a population of fewer than 10,000 mature individuals. The species is threatened by habitat loss, hunting, and egg collecting.
– Conservation status: The Black Crowned Crane is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Conservation efforts have been made to protect the species, including the establishment of protected areas and the promotion of sustainable land use practices.
Black-necked Crane
The Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) is a medium-sized crane species that breeds on the Tibetan Plateau and remote parts of India and Bhutan. Here are some key facts about the Black-necked Crane:
– Description: The Black-necked Crane is a pale-bodied crane with a black neck, a dark drooping “bustle” of elongated feathers above the tail, and a red crown on its head. It is 139 cm (55 in) long with a 235 cm (7.71 ft) wingspan, and it weighs 5.5 kg (12 lb). It has black primaries and secondaries, black upper neck and legs, and a white patch to the rear of the eye.
– Distribution: The Black-necked Crane is found in high-altitude wetlands and pastures of the Tibetan Plateau and remote parts of India and Bhutan. It is the only alpine member of the crane species.
– Diet: The Black-necked Crane is an omnivore, and it feeds on a variety of food, including plants, grains, insects, small mammals, and invertebrates.
– Threats: The Black-necked Crane is listed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a single small population that is subject to a number of threats that are suspected to be causing a decline in the population. The species is threatened by habitat loss, hunting, and egg collecting.
– Conservation status: The Black-necked Crane is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. The species is revered in Buddhist traditions and culturally protected across much of its range, with a festival in Bhutan celebrating the bird and the Indian union territory of Ladakh designating it as the state bird.
Grey Crowned Crane
The Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) is a bird species that belongs to the family Gruidae and the bird order Gruiformes. Here are some key facts about the Grey Crowned Crane:
– Description: The Grey Crowned Crane is a medium-sized crane, with a length of 100-110 cm (3.3-3.6 ft), a wingspan of 180-200 cm (5.9-6.6 ft), and a weight of 3-4 kg (6.6-8.8 lb). It has a grey body, white wings with feathers ranging in color from white to brown to gold, a head topped with stiff golden feathers, white cheek patches, a red gular sack under the chin, black legs and feet, and a short, grey bill. Juveniles have a greyish body, brown nape, buffy face, and a spiky, golden-buff crown.
– Distribution: The Grey Crowned Crane is found in nearly all of Africa, especially in eastern and southern Africa, and is the national bird of Uganda. The species is non-migratory, but undertakes variable local and seasonal movements and is most abundant in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
– Diet: The Grey Crowned Crane is an omnivore, and it feeds on a variety of food, including tips of grasses, seeds, insects, and other invertebrates.
– Threats: The Grey Crowned Crane is listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a population of 26,500-33,500 individuals. The species is threatened by habitat loss, hunting, and egg collecting.
– Conservation status: The Grey Crowned Crane is listed as Endangered by the IUCN. Conservation efforts have been made to protect the species, including the establishment of protected areas and the promotion of sustainable land use practices.
Sarus Crane
The Sarus Crane (Antigone antigone) is a large non-migratory crane species that is found in parts of the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Here are some key facts about the Sarus Crane:
Description:
– The Sarus Crane is the world’s tallest extant flying bird, standing at a height of up to 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in).
– It has an overall grey color, with contrasting red head and upper neck, and a greyish crown.
– The Sarus Crane has a long, greenish-grey, pointed bill, and long, pink legs.
– It has a grey ear covert patch, orange-red irises, and black wing tips that can be seen in flight.
Distribution:
– The Sarus Crane is found in northern India, southeast Asia, and in the northern parts of Australia.
– Most Sarus Cranes are widely distributed along the Gangetic plain and in eastern Rajasthan in the northern states of India, and population densities decrease going to the south.
– The species is not known to be migratory.
Habitat:
– Sarus Cranes have grown accustomed to living in large agricultural areas, specifically along low wetlands and flooded rice paddies.
– They tend to prefer natural wetlands over agricultural paddies, however, there is still debate on which habitat these birds prefer.
– Extensive research has been performed to understand the interaction of the Sarus Crane with paddy ecosystems.
Diet:
– The Sarus Crane is an omnivore, and it feeds on a variety of food, including roots, tubers, insects, crustaceans, and other invertebrates.
Threats:
– The Sarus Crane is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a population of 15,000-20,000 individuals.
– The species is threatened by habitat loss, hunting, and egg collecting.
Conservation status:
– The Sarus Crane is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
– Conservation efforts have been made to protect the species, including the establishment of protected areas and the promotion of sustainable land use practices.
Brolga
The Brolga (Antigone rubicunda), formerly known as the native companion, is a bird species in the crane family. Here are some key facts about the Brolga:
Description:
– The Brolga is a tall, upright bird with a small head, long beak, slender neck, and long legs.
– Its plumage is mainly grey, with black wing tips, and it has an orange-red band on its head.
– It is one of Australia’s largest flying birds, standing 1.3 meters tall with a wingspan of nearly 2.5 meters.
Distribution:
– The Brolga is a common, gregarious wetland bird species of tropical and southeastern Australia and New Guinea.
– It occurs throughout northern and eastern Australia and in limited numbers in southern New Guinea.
Habitat:
– The Brolga is found in wetlands, grasslands, and savannas.
– It prefers to nest in wetlands and build its nest of wetland vegetation, either on an elevated mound or floating platform.
Diet:
– The Brolga is an omnivore, and it feeds on a variety of food, including plants, grains, insects, small mammals, and invertebrates.
Threats:
– The Brolga is listed as a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a stable population trend.
– However, the species is threatened by habitat loss, hunting, and egg collecting.
Conservation status:
– The Brolga is listed as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN.
– Conservation efforts have been made to protect the species, including the establishment of protected areas and the promotion of sustainable land use practices.
Red-crowned Crane
The Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis), also known as the Manchurian crane or Japanese crane, is a large East Asian crane species and is among the rarest cranes in the world. Here are some key facts about the Red-crowned Crane:
Description:
– The Red-crowned Crane is a large crane species, with a height of up to 1.5 m (5 ft) and a wingspan of up to 2.5 m (8 ft).
– It has a mostly white body, with black secondary feathers, and a red patch of bare skin on its crown, which becomes brighter during the mating season.
– The Red-crowned Crane has a deep green bill and a long, sharply angular beak for spearing its prey.
– Juveniles have a combination of white, partly tawny, cinnamon brown, and/or gray plumage, with gray to coffee brown neck collars and dull black and brown secondary feathers.
Distribution:
– The Red-crowned Crane is found in East Asia, including China, Japan, and Korea.
– The species is non-migratory, but undertakes variable local and seasonal movements.
Habitat:
– The Red-crowned Crane is found in wetlands, grasslands, and savannas.
– Its natural habitat is wide-open pristine wetlands where it can fish for its food.
Diet:
– The Red-crowned Crane is an omnivore, and it feeds on a variety of food, including plants, grains, insects, small mammals, and invertebrates.
Threats:
– The Red-crowned Crane is listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a population of fewer than 3,000 individuals.
– The species is threatened by habitat loss, hunting, and egg collecting.
Conservation status:
– The Red-crowned Crane is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.
– Conservation efforts have been made to protect the species, including the establishment of protected areas and the promotion of sustainable land use practices.
White-naped Crane
The White-naped Crane (Antigone vipio) is a bird species that belongs to the family Gruidae and the bird order Gruiformes. Here are some key facts about the White-naped Crane:
Description:
– The White-naped Crane is a large bird, 112–125 cm (44–49 in) long, about 130 cm (4.3 ft) tall, and weighing about 5.6 kg (12 lb).
– It has pinkish legs, a grey-and-white-striped neck, and a red face patch.
– The White-naped Crane has a white stripe running from the crown down its nape.
Distribution:
– The White-naped Crane breeds in northeastern Mongolia, northeastern China, and adjacent areas of southeastern Russia.
– Different groups of the birds migrate to winter near the Yangtze River, the Korean Demilitarized Zone, and on Kyūshū in Japan.
– They also reach Kazakhstan and Taiwan.
Habitat:
– The White-naped Crane is found in wetlands, grasslands, and savannas.
Diet:
– The White-naped Crane is an omnivore, and it feeds on a variety of food, including plant matter such as seeds, roots, and tubers of aquatic plants, insects, and small vertebrates such as amphibians and rodents.
Threats:
– The White-naped Crane is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a population of fewer than 10,000 mature individuals.
– The species is threatened by habitat loss with drainage of wetlands for agriculture expansion, over-grazing, human disturbances, and steppe fires that destroy nesting sites and can decimate a colony.
Conservation status:
– The White-naped Crane is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
– Conservation efforts have been made to protect the species, including the establishment of protected areas and the promotion of sustainable land use practices.
FAQS
1. How many types of crane birds are there?
There are 15 species of crane birds recognized around the world.
2. What do crane birds look like?
Cranes are tall birds with long legs and necks. They have pointed beaks, non-webbed toes, and their hind toe is raised. They often have long graceful necks, large elongated bodies covered in light-colored feathers, and heads covered by those of a more striking color.
3. Where are crane birds found?
Cranes can be found in the wetlands of just about every continent with the Arctic and South America being the sole exceptions. The different species have different ranges, with some being found in specific regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, and North America.
4. What do crane birds eat?
Cranes are omnivorous and feed on a variety of food, including insects, fish, rodents, small reptiles and amphibians, vegetation, and even some cultivated plants.
5. Are crane birds endangered?
Some species of crane birds are endangered or vulnerable due to habitat loss, hunting, and egg collecting. The Grey Crowned, Red-crowned, Siberian, and Whooping Cranes are classified as Endangered, while the Black Crowned, Black-necked, Blue, Hooded, Sarus, Wattled, and White-naped Cranes are classified as Vulnerable.
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Category: Birds
