# Common Crane (*Grus grus*) The Common Crane is a tall bird with long legs and a beautiful, graceful neck. They are known for their loud, trumpeting calls and often dance during mating season, making them a sight to see! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Common Crane](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/2017.07.04.-01-Wendisch_Rietz--Kranich.jpg&width=800) Photo: Andreas Eichler, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2017.07.04.-01-Wendisch_Rietz--Kranich.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Crane is a tall, elegant grey bird with long legs and a long neck. It has a distinctive red patch on its crown and striking black and white stripes on its head and neck, making it visually distinct from herons. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Gruiformes - **Family:** Gruidae - **Genus:** Grus ## Interesting facts - A crane's incredible call comes from a coiled windpipe, making it super loud and carrying far! - Common Cranes are one of Europe's tallest birds, standing over a meter high! - Some crane migration routes are so ancient, they were likely flown by their ancestors millions of years ago! - They often perform energetic 'unison dances' involving bowing, jumping, and stick throwing! ## Special abilities - **Trumpet Voice:** Common Cranes have a loud, trumpeting call from a long windpipe, allowing them to communicate across vast distances. - **Dance Master:** Common Cranes perform elaborate, leaping dances to attract mates and strengthen their pair bonds. - **Wading Wanderer:** Common Cranes have very long legs and toes, helping them wade through shallow waters to find food. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 100-130 cm - **Wingspan:** 180-240 cm - **Weight:** 4.5-6.1 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Speed:** 65 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-3 - **Incubation:** 28-31 days - **Migration Distance:** 4000 km ## Diet & Feeding These omnivores eat a mix of plants, grains, insects, and small critters found on the ground. - **Primary Foods:** grains, insects, worms, small amphibians, berries, roots - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — preys on eggs and chicks in nesting areas - **Eaten by:** [Wild Boar](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wild-boar) (*Sus scrofa*) — forages for eggs and young in nesting areas - **Eats:** Maize (*Zea mays*) — feeds on fallen grains in agricultural fields - **Depends on:** [Common Reed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-reed) (*Phragmites australis*) — uses dense reeds for nesting shelter and material ## 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. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [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. - [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. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't disturb their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common 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 Common Crane? 100-130 cm ### What is Common Crane's wingspan? 180-240 cm ### How much does Common Crane weigh? 4.5-6.1 kg ### How long does Common Crane live? 15-20 years ### How fast can Common Crane move? 65 km/h ### What does Common Crane eat? These omnivores eat a mix of plants, grains, insects, and small critters found on the ground. ### Where is Common Crane usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Naturpark Insel Usedom](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/usedom-island-nature-park) — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, DE · Park - [Naturpark Mecklenburgische Schweiz und Kummerower See](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mecklenburgische-schweiz-kummerower-see-nature-park) — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, DE · Park - [Naturpark Nuthe-Nieplitz](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/nuthe-nieplitz-nature-park) — Brandenburg, DE · Park - [Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/vorpommersche-boddenlandschaft-national-park) — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, DE · Park - [Biosphärenreservat Oberlausitzer Heide- und Teichlandschaft](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/biospharenreservat-oberlausitzer-heide-und-teichlandschaft) — Sachsen, DE · Park - [Biosphärenreservat Schaalsee](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/schaalsee-biosphere-reserve) — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, DE · Park [View all places to see Common Crane](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-crane) ## 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: [Common Crane: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-crane)