Cranes belong to the order Gruiformes, which means “crane-like”. Cranes are large, long-legged, and long-necked waders. Waders are a diverse group of birds that feed by wading through shallow waters. To facilitate this, they typically have long legs. Many waders also have long, flexible necks and long bills for foraging in water or spearing prey. Birds in this group also include storks, herons, ibises, spoonbills, and flamingos.
Unlike the herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched and not pulled back. They are opportunistic feeders that change their diet according to the season and their nutritional requirements. They have a wide and varied diet. Prey items include small rodents, fish, amphibians, and insects. They also eat plant foods such as grain, berries, and plants. During the breeding season, cranes are territorial. During winter, they are sociable and form groups.
The order includes cranes, crakes, and rails, and several other bird families as listed below:
- Aramidae – Limpkin
- Gruidae – Cranes
- Heliornithidae – Finfoots
- Psophiidae – Trumpeters
- Rallidae – Coots, Gallinules, Moorhens
- Rallidae – Crakes, Rails
- Sarothruridae – Flufftails
There are fourteen species of cranes.
Let’s take a look at the different genera and species
1. Genus Anthropoides
This genus contains the Blue Crane and Demoiselle Crane. They are birds of the dry, grassy uplands which feed on seeds and insects and spend little time in wetlands.
1.1. Blue Crane (Stanley Crane), Anthropoides paradisea
Description: The blue crane has pale blue-gray plumage, with a light gray to whitish crown and face. Its gray bill has a pink tinge. It has a large, angular head.
Range: Africa.
Habitat: Grasslands, hills, valleys, plains, and pasturelands, typically near wetlands, especially during the breeding season.
Conservation status: Blue cranes are vulnerable due to habitat destruction, indiscriminate persecution, and indirect poisoning.
1.2. Demoiselle Crane, Anthropoides virgo
Description: The Demoiselle crane has a blue-gray body and a blackish-gray head and neck with long white plumes extending from the eyes to the back of the head down the nape.
Range: Asia and Africa.
Habitat: Drier habitats such as desert, steppe, open fields, and plains usually near water, especially in the breeding season.
Conservation status: Least concern.
2. Genus Balearica
The crowned cranes are the only cranes that can roost in trees.
2.1. Black-Crowned Crane, Balearica pavonina
Description: The black-crowned crane has mostly black plumage, red cheeks, a black forehead, and its characteristic golden crown. Its wings are mainly white with black primary flight feathers and purplish-brown secondaries. It is similar to the gray-crowned crane, but the latter has mostly gray plumage and white cheeks.
Range: Africa.
Habitat: Shallow wetlands, grasslands, marshes, river edges, and lakesides.
Conservation status: Vulnerable due to wetland degradation.
2.2. Gray-Crowned Crane, Balearica regulorum
Description: The gray-crowned crane has mostly gray plumage, white cheeks, a black forehead, a red gular sac, and a characteristic golden crown. Its wings are mainly white with black primary flight feathers and purplish-brown secondaries. It is similar to the black-crowned crane, but the latter has mainly black plumage and red cheeks.
Range: Africa.
Habitat: Marshes, grasslands, agricultural lands.
Conservation status: The gray crowned crane is endangered due to habitat destruction and indirect poisoning.
3. Genus Bugeranus
3.1. Wattled Crane, Bugeranus carunculatus
Description: The wattled crane has a gray back, wings, and crown, a white lower head, neck, wattles, and upper breast, and red facial skin.
Range: Africa.
Habitat: Dense wetlands and marshes.
Conservation status: Wattled cranes are vulnerable due to habitat destruction, collision with powerlines, and human disturbances.
4. Genus Grus
4.1. Brogla, Grus rubicunda
Description: The brolga has mainly gray plumage, a bare gray-green crown, a red face and throat pouch, gray ear coverts, a grayish-green bill, yellowish-orange eyes, and grayish-black legs. It is similar to the sarus crane, but the latter has a red upper neck.
Range: Australia.
Habitat: Wetlands, floodplains, grasslands, marshes, shallow lakes, pasturelands, croplands, and wet meadows.
Conservation status: Least concern.
4.2. Black-Necked Crane, Grus nigricollis
Description: The black-necked crane has mainly gray plumage with a black head and neck and a black tail. It is similar to the common crane, but the latter has a gray and black neck and a gray tail.
Range: Asia.
Habitat: Alpine meadows, riverine marshes, river valleys, lakesides, and agricultural fields.
Conservation status: The black-necked crane is near-threatened, mainly due to habitat destruction.
4.3. Common Crane (Eurasian Crane), Grus grus
Description: The common crane has mainly gray plumage, darkest on the rump, and paler on the breast and wings. It has a blackish forehead and a red crown. It is similar to the black-necked crane, but the latter has an all-black neck and a black tail.
Range: Europe and Asia.
Habitat: High altitude forests, moors, bogs, heathland, marshy wetlands, swamps, and wet meadows.
Conservation status: Least concern.
4.4. Hooded Crane, Grus monachal
Description: The hooded crane has a dark gray body with a white upper neck and a white head with bare red skin above the eye.
Range: Asia.
Habitat: Wetlands, bogs, grasslands, agricultural land, rice paddies, river edges, lakesides, and marshes.
Conservation status: The hooded crane is vulnerable due to habitat destruction.
4.5. Red-Crowned Crane, Grus japonensis
Description: The red-crowned crane has mainly white plumage with a black neck and tail and a bare-skinned red crown. White stripes extend from the eye down the nape. The male has black cheeks, and the female has gray cheeks.
Range: Asia.
Habitat: Wetlands, marshes, rivers, rice paddies, and mudflats.
Conservation status: The red-crowned crane is endangered due to habitat destruction, poaching, poisoning, and human disturbance.
4.6. Sandhill Crane, Grus canadensis
Description: The sandhill crane has mainly gray plumage with a red forehead, white cheeks, and a long dark bill. During the breeding season, the gray in its plumage has a rusty tinge.
Range: North America and Asia.
Habitat: Wetlands, marshes, bogs, prairies, wet meadows, croplands, pasturelands, and grasslands.
Conservation status: Least concern.
4.7. Sarus Crane, Grus Antigone
Description: The sarus crane has mainly gray plumage with black wingtips, a red head, and a gray crown. It has gray ear patches, a black and red upper neck. It is similar to the brolga, but the latter does not have a red neck.
Range: Asia and Australia.
Habitat: Shallow wetlands, marshes, ponds, rice paddies, wet grasslands, and agricultural areas.
Conservation status: The sarus crane is vulnerable due to habitat destruction, poaching, and pollution.
4.8. Siberian Crane, (Siberian White Crane), Grus leucogeranus
Description: The Siberian crane has white plumage with black wingtips and bare red skin on the forehead and face.
Range: Asia.
Habitat: Wetlands, marshes, and lakesides.
Conservation status: The Siberian crane is critically endangered due to habitat destruction, poaching, poisoning, and pollution.
4.9. White-Naped Crane, Grus vipio
Description: The white-naped crane has a gray body with a white nape and head. It has red facial skin, gray ear patches, and black coverts near the base of the bill.
Range: Asia.
Habitat: Wetlands, grassy marshes, reedbeds, and croplands.
Conservation status: They are vulnerable due to habitat destruction and poaching.
4.10. Whooping Crane, Grus americana
Description: The whooping crane has white plumage with a red crown and black wingtips.
Range: North America.
Habitat: Forests, moors, ponds, wetlands, croplands, and coastal environments (during winter).
Conservation status: The whooping crane is critically endangered due to habitat destruction, collision with power lines, illegal shooting, and human disturbance.
