Common crane Grus grus

Features

The common crane is a magnificent bird that measures from 96 to 119 cm from the tip of the tail to the tip of its medium long beak, and its wingspan measures from 180 to 222 cm. It is, therefore, a huge bird with very long legs and a long narrow neck.

Species	Bird
Living space	Swamp
Size	100 - 130 cm
Weight	3 -6,1 kg

Description

The common crane's feathers are bluish-grey. Nesting specimens get a brownish shade due to the colourings in marine waters, which they are coloured by during egg hatching. The common crane’s pointy beak is ochre, its throat and front of the neck are black and the back of their neck is white. On the top of its head, the common crane has a patch of exposed red skin. When it is on the ground, its long black flying feathers give the impression of a bushy tail, but its tail is in fact short. It flies with a stretched neck and legs. The common crane uses daylight to find food. It is an omnivore feeding on roots, tubers, young shoots, leaves and fruits of plants, as well as on animal food (everything from adult insects and their larvae, earthworms, spiders, to amphibians, reptiles, fish, small mammals, eggs and birds). The common cranes spend their nights in collective accommodation, which they return to every night. In Slovenia, we can observe the common cranes on their migration, mainly in spring. They are a distinct migrant, moving across Europe through two regular paths and using the same areas for rest. The common cranes fly to warm areas in large groups in the beginning of September. They migrate in V-shaped flocks to reduce air resistance and energy consumption in the long run. They return from their wintering grounds in Africa or on the Iberian Peninsula to their breeding grounds in March and begin to breed in April or May.