# Sarus crane (*Antigone antigone*) The Sarus crane is a tall and graceful bird known for its long legs and beautiful red head. They are often seen in wetlands and are famous for their loud, trumpeting calls. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Sarus ![Sarus crane](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Sarus_crane_%28Grus_antigone%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sarus_crane_%28Grus_antigone%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Sarus crane is the world's tallest flying bird, boasting a largely grey body. It has a striking, bare red head and upper neck, contrasted with a whitish crown. Its long dark legs and large size make it easily distinguishable. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Gruiformes - **Family:** Gruidae - **Genus:** Grus ## Interesting facts - Sarus cranes mate for life, staying with one partner forever! - The Sarus crane is India's state bird, symbolizing marital fidelity! - Their powerful calls can be heard over two miles away! - They build enormous nests of reeds, sometimes 2 meters wide! ## Special abilities - **Sky High Sentinel:** Sarus cranes can stand over 1.8 meters tall, making them the world's tallest flying bird, which helps them spot danger from afar. - **Powerful Dancer:** Sarus cranes perform elaborate courtship dances, leaping and calling, helping them find and attract a mate. - **Voice Amplifier:** Sarus cranes have a long trachea that coils inside their sternum, acting like an amplifier for their trumpet-like calls. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 130-180 cm - **Wingspan:** 220-280 cm - **Weight:** 5-12 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Speed:** 70 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-2 - **Incubation:** 26-35 days ## Diet & Feeding These omnivorous birds eat plants, seeds, insects, and small animals found in and around wetlands. - **Age differences:** Young cranes eat more insects for protein during their growth. - **Primary Foods:** insects, aquatic plants, roots, seeds, small fish, frogs - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — They often use human-managed wetlands like paddy fields. - **Eaten by:** Golden Jackal (*Canis aureus*) — Jackals are known predators of Sarus crane eggs and chicks. - **Depends on:** [Rice](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rice) (*Oryza sativa*) — They forage for grains and insects in rice paddy fields. - **Eats:** [Common Carp](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-carp) (*Cyprinus carpio*) — Sarus cranes prey on small fish in shallow waters. ## 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. - [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 do not try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Sarus 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 Sarus crane? 130-180 cm ### What is Sarus crane's wingspan? 220-280 cm ### How much does Sarus crane weigh? 5-12 kg ### How long does Sarus crane live? 15-20 years ### How fast can Sarus crane move? 70 km/h ### What does Sarus crane eat? These omnivorous birds eat plants, seeds, insects, and small animals found in and around wetlands. ### Where is Sarus crane usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Disney's Animal Kingdom](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/disneys-animal-kingdom) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Triangle Metro Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/triangle-metro-zoo) — North Carolina, US · Zoo - [International Crane Foundation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/international-crane-foundation) — Wisconsin, US · Zoo - [Cougar Mountain Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cougar-mountain-zoo) — Washington, US · Zoo [View all places to see Sarus crane](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/sarus-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: [Sarus crane: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sarus-crane)