Cranes

The largest crane, and the rarest Asian crane, is the red-crowned, or Japanese, crane (Grus japonicus). This bird can weigh up to 25 lb (11.4 kg). It has vivid red feathers on the top of its head, but its body is snowy white. It appears to have a black tail, but actually, these feathers are the tips of its wings. Although formerly widespread, the red-crowned crane is now reduced to very small populations in eastern Asia (this species breeds in Russia, and winters in China, Japan, North Korea, and South Korea). In 1952, this crane became Japan's national bird. There are fewer than about 1,200 of these birds left in the wild.

The smallest crane is the demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo) of Europe and North Africa. It has white ear tufts that stretch backward from its eyes and hang off the back of the head. Demoiselle cranes live on drier ground than other cranes. The blue crane (A. paradisea) of Africa has wingtip feathers that reach backward and to the ground, like a bustle. These two cranes do not nest by water, but in grasslands or even semiarid land. The blue crane is the national bird of South Africa. It has the surprising ability when excited, of puffing out its cheeks until its head looks frightening.

The tallest crane is the sarus crane (G. antigone) of India, Cambodia, Nepal, Vietnam, and northern Australia. Standing 6 ft (2 m) tall, it is a gray bird with a head and throat of vivid red. The red color ends abruptly in a straight line around the white neck. This species is among the least social of cranes, and it becomes aggressive when nesting.

A frequent resident of zoos is the crowned crane (Balearica pavonina) of Africa, which has a beautiful puff of golden feathers coming from the back of the head. It has a red wattle beneath its black and white head, a light gray neck, dark gray back and tail, and white, sometimes yellowish, wings. The West African subspecies has a black neck instead of gray and lacks the red wattle.

The rare black-necked, or Tibetan crane (Grus nigricollis) of the Himalayas breeds on the high plateau of Tibet. It migrates to the valleys of southwest China and Bhutan to spend the winter. The black-necked crane is a medium-sized crane with a stocky appearance; it has a larger body and shorter neck and legs than related species, perhaps as an adaptation to the cold climate of the Tibetan plateau. This crane has a black neck and head, plus a striking black trailing edge to its wings. A golden circle around the eye makes the eye look enormous against the black feathers. It is estimated that about 5,500 black-necked cranes survive in the wild.

The seriously endangered Siberian crane is as beautiful as it is rare, with long reddish pink legs, a red-orange face, and a snowy white body with black areas on its wings. This crane breeds only at two locations in Siberia and winters in China, India, and Iran. Only a few thousand of these birds are left.