Page 162 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

CRANES AND BUSTARDS
Order Gruiformes Family Gruidae Species Grus grus
Crane dull red patch on
brown
crown, often
head
hard to see
brownish black face
fingered tips body and throat
of wings
JUVENILE
thick pale
ADULT grey body, often lower neck
white nape brown on back
and neck- and chest
stripe
long
ADULT neck
straight, flat long, thick
wings dark legs
bushy, dark-tipped
IN FLIGHT feathers bunch
over tail
ne of Europe’s most charismatic birds, the
OCrane engages in spectacular communal
dancing displays in spring and summer in the wild
north. In winter, large flocks are commonly seen in a
few southern wetlands. It is mostly a rather rare migrant
in between. Grey Herons are sometimes spoken of as ADULT
Cranes, through a confusion of names rather than any error
in identification: the two are really very different.The Crane
is considerably bigger and
more dramatic than a heron. FLIGHT: strong, direct, with head and legs
VOICE Loud, deep, clanging outstretched, wings held straight and flat; shallow
krro; in spring, bugling notes beats between short glides.
as pairs display.
NESTING Big, rough mound
of stalks and leaves on
ground on which bird
crouches, hard to see;
2 eggs; 1 brood; May–July.
FEEDING Strides
majestically over ground,
digging up roots, grain, FLYING IN A GROUP GROUP DISPLAYING
and insect larvae; eats Crane flocks fly in lines, “V”s, Large groups gather in spring to display, with graceful, rhythmic leaps
acorns in winter. and irregular packs. and bows and loud trumpeting calls.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Breeds in N Europe on remote bogs
GREY HERON within forests or on wide, reedy
see p.82
marshes with little disturbance.
Migrants on open ground near
long
greyer white head coasts. In winter, in rolling uplands,
outer plumes neck cork oak, and around large, boggy
wing smaller curled lakes in SW Europe.
back in
DEMOISELLE CRANE flight Seen in the UK
escapee; see p.420 JF M A M J JA S ON D
Length 0.96–1.19m (3–4ft) Wingspan 1.8–2.22m (6–7 1 ⁄4ft) Weight 4.5–6kg (10–13lb)
Social Large winter flocks Lifespan Up to 20 years Status Vulnerable
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