# blue crane (*Anthropoides paradiseus*) The blue crane is a tall and graceful bird with beautiful blue-gray feathers. It dances to impress its friends and can be found in open grasslands and wetlands. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands and wetlands ![blue crane](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Blue_Cranes_%28Anthropoides_paradiseus%29_couple_%2832611106035%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_Cranes_%28Anthropoides_paradiseus%29_couple_%2832611106035%29.jpg) ## Appearance The blue crane is a tall bird with a stately grey-blue body, a large head, and a long neck. It has elegant, trailing black primary feathers that sweep the ground, and a pinkish bill with grey-pink legs, giving it a distinctive dignified appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Gruiformes - **Family:** Gruidae - **Genus:** Anthropoides ## Interesting facts - Blue cranes spend almost all their time walking on the ground, even for sleeping! - Blue cranes swallow tiny stones called gastroliths to help them digest tough seeds! - The males and females look so alike that telling them apart is very tricky! - Their loud, trumpeting calls can be heard up to a mile away across the plains! ## Special abilities - **Dance Master:** Blue cranes can perform intricate, high-jumping courtship dances that help them attract a mate and strengthen their pair bond. - **Sound Amplifier:** Blue cranes have a long, coiled windpipe that acts like a natural amplifier, helping them produce loud, far-carrying calls. - **Stealth Camouflage:** The blue crane's grey-blue plumage helps it blend seamlessly into the open grasslands and fields where it hunts for food. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 100-120 cm - **Wingspan:** 180-200 cm - **Weight:** 3.6-6.2 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-25 years - **Speed:** 70 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-3 - **Incubation:** 30-33 days ## Diet & Feeding These birds are omnivores, eating a mix of seeds, grains, insects, and small vertebrates. - **Primary Foods:** grasshoppers, locusts, wheat, maize, seeds, snails - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Black-backed Jackal (*Canis mesomelas*) — predator of blue crane eggs and chicks - **Eats:** [Migratory Locust](https://www.snappit.app/explore/migratory-locust) (*Locusta migratoria*) — feeds on this common grassland insect - **Eats:** Common Wheat (*Triticum aestivum*) — consumes fallen grains in farmlands - **Eaten by:** Tawny Eagle (*Aquila rapax*) — can prey on juvenile blue cranes ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify blue crane? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is blue crane? 100-120 cm ### What is blue crane's wingspan? 180-200 cm ### How much does blue crane weigh? 3.6-6.2 kg ### How long does blue crane live? 20-25 years ### How fast can blue crane move? 70 km/h ### What does blue crane eat? These birds are omnivores, eating a mix of seeds, grains, insects, and small vertebrates. ### Where is blue crane usually found? Grasslands and wetlands ## Where to spot - [International Crane Foundation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/international-crane-foundation) — Wisconsin, US · Zoo ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Blue Crane: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-crane)