# Siberian Crane (*Leucogeranus leucogeranus*) The Siberian Crane is a beautiful bird with long legs and a striking white body. They are known for their graceful dance and can be found in wetlands during migration. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Siberian White Crane ![Siberian Crane](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Schneekranich_Grus_leucogeranus_090501_We_147.JPG&width=800) Photo: BS Thurner Hof, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schneekranich_Grus_leucogeranus_090501_We_147.JPG) ## Appearance The Siberian Crane is easily recognized by its pure white plumage, except for distinctive black primary feathers visible in flight. It has a striking featherless red patch on its face extending from its bill to behind its eyes. Its long legs and neck are also white. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Gruiformes - **Family:** Gruidae - **Genus:** Grus ## Interesting facts - Baby cranes learn to fly in just 70-75 days after hatching. - Chicks have fuzzy reddish-brown down, not white like their parents. - Only about 4,000 Siberian Cranes are left in the wild today. - They're sometimes called "Snow Cranes" because of their pure white feathers! ## Special abilities - **Long-Distance Migrator:** Siberian Cranes can fly thousands of kilometers each year because they must travel between their frozen breeding grounds and warmer winter wetlands. - **Deep Digger:** Siberian Cranes have a strong, serrated bill that helps them probe deep into mud and water to find buried plant tubers and creatures. - **Loud Trumpeter:** Siberian Cranes can produce a loud, far-reaching call because their unique windpipe coils within their breastbone, amplifying their voice. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 115-140 cm - **Wingspan:** 210-230 cm - **Weight:** 4.9-8.6 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-40 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-2 - **Incubation:** 27-30 days - **Migration Distance:** 5000 km ## Diet & Feeding They eat aquatic plants, tubers, insects, and small animals found in wetlands. - **Primary Foods:** Rhizomes of aquatic plants, Sedge tubers, Aquatic insects, Small fish, Frogs - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Preys on crane eggs and chicks. - **Eaten by:** [Eurasian Otter](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-otter) (*Lutra lutra*) — Can consume crane eggs or young chicks. - **Eats:** Sago Pondweed (*Potamogeton pectinatus*) — Cranes dig up and consume its tubers. - **Eats:** [Common Carp](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-carp) (*Cyprinus carpio*) — Young carp are sometimes caught. - **Depends on:** Broadleaf Cattail (*Typha latifolia*) — Provides nesting cover and food (rhizomes). ## 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. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [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. - [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 disturb their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Siberian 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 Siberian Crane? 115-140 cm ### What is Siberian Crane's wingspan? 210-230 cm ### How much does Siberian Crane weigh? 4.9-8.6 kg ### How long does Siberian Crane live? 20-40 years ### How fast can Siberian Crane move? 60 km/h ### What does Siberian Crane eat? They eat aquatic plants, tubers, insects, and small animals found in wetlands. ### Where is Siberian Crane usually found? 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: [Siberian Crane: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/siberian-crane)