Sarus Crane

Latin Name:

Grus antigone

Category:

Size:

165cm

Description:

Sexes alike, but female slightly smaller than male; grey plumage; naked red head and upper neck; young birds are brownish-grey, with rusty-brown on head. Pairs, family parties or flocks; also feeds along with other waterbirds; known to pair for life and usually well-protected in northern and west-central India, but habitat loss continues to be a grave threat; flies under 12 metres off ground.

Habitat:

marshes, jheels, well-watered cultivation, village ponds.

Food:

fish, frogs, crustaceans, insects, grains, tubers.

Distribution:

most common in N and C India (E Rajasthan, Gujarat, N and C Madhya Pradesh, Gangetic plain).

Although the Sarus Crane is well known in northern India, it is now globally threatened and declining throughout its range, as many of the suitable sites have long been drained.

Sarus Cranes feed in grassy swamps on tubers and small animals but they regularly move out to cereal and other crops. The main reason for their decline is probably the drainage of the small swamps that they need for nesting. Certainly they are rarely persecuted as they are revered by most villagers as symbols of longevity and fidelity and the presence of a pair is welcomed. They do not need a very big area to nest but it must be wet through the breeding season, which is generally from July to December.

Large gatherings are rarely seen now, and a group of more than ten is noteworthy. More typically, they are seen in pairs, sometimes accompanied by one or two young birds. They do not breed until they are at least two years old so there will always be a number of non-breeding birds around. Sarus Cranes are the world’s tallest flying bird and the sight of a pair bugling past is a thrilling one. Their graceful courtship dance is fascinating