Crane gray: photos, features lifestyle

In this article, you will learn about one of the most interesting and large birds. Is the crane. Only in Russia, home to 7 species of birds. Of these, the most widespread and numerous is the common grey crane.

Habitat

Nesting cranes in Western and Northern Europe, in many areas of Russia (Kolyma river basin and Transbaikalia), in China and Northern Mongolia. They are also slightly observed in the Altai, Tibet and Turkey. In winter, the cranes, like most birds, usually migrate to the South in Eastern and Northern Africa, to Spain, France, the middle East, India and China (South and East).

Their breeding in swampy areas and floodplains (wetlands). In case of lack of wetlands can settle in and near agricultural lands. Usually for wintering cranes choose a more exalted place, rather densely covered with herbaceous vegetation.

Grey crane: photo description

Males and females do not differ from each other in appearance. The predominant color of adults – grey. Only slightly painted black, some feathers: flight feathers (primary, secondary, and tertiary coverts) and tail feathers (their vertices).

On top of poultry feathers are virtually absent, and the area of bare skin on her – reddish. Always with a red "cap" on your head goes grey crane (photo demonstrates this).

The lower part of the neck, her sides, part of the head (posterior) and chin are brownish-black color. The neck and head of a bird stands out sharply white stripe that runs along the sides of the head to the rear edge and on the outer side of the neck.

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This is a fairly large bird: height-115 cm, and the wings have a wingspan up to 2 meters. Males weight 6 kg, and females – slightly fewer (5,900 kg). The colors of the plumage allows the bird to camouflage in the forests from enemies. The beak reaches sizes up to 30 cm Grey with red endings feathers has a young crane. Limbs in birds the dark.

Reproduction

The gray Crane-the bird is monogamous. It keeps its mate for life. Only if the female or the male dies, the remaining bird finds another partner. And yet another pair can be formed in case of failure of prolonged attempts to breed.

From April to July last breeding season. Typically, steam is formed before the start of the flight to the place of the future nest. After arrival, male and female satisfied with the same kind of ritual dance. There are jumping, wing flapping and important prancing gait.

Over the water or near the chosen plot of land (relatively dry), always among dense vegetation (thickets of reeds, etc.). This is the place for the nest. The buck and DOE announce the selection of a suitable site drawling voice. Thus they mark their territory.

The socket Itself – large (over 1m in diameter). It is built of the different material. Usually a female deposited 2 eggs. The incubation period lasts up to 31 days. The male and the female incubate the eggs. Soon after birth the Chicks can leave the nest. Their full plumage takes place in about 70 days.

Lifestyle features

Gray Crane, as noted above, on arrival at home is starting to kind of shake a leg. Do it either alone, or in the pack. During this period, birds are very cautious, so watch all this only from afar. The cranes on the breeding usually never form massive clusters, that is pairs nest away from each other.

The Nest of the female and the male build very quickly and carelessly. In the end, it is just a bunch of sticks collected from nearby areas. Inside the nest is a tray, lined with dry grass. As a rule, older birds occupy their nests (last year). This nest is a pair of cranes can last a few years, just every year a little bird update it.

Distribution of cranes in Russia

The gray Crane in Russia is represented by two subspecies-the Western and the Eastern. they differ little from each other. The border of their distribution, as well as their subspecies independence, studied in the country today is relatively bad. Approximately we can say that the border that separates these two subspecies, stretches along the Ural mountains. The Western subspecies lives in European Russia and East-Asian.

Moreover, it is known that the gray crane wintering of the European part of the country flies in Africa (Morocco, Egypt, etc.), and Eastern (mainly found in Siberia) – North India or in China. A minor part of common cranes overwinter in the region.

In conclusion, the most interesting

At the beginning of the mating season the cranes their feathers covered with mud and silt. This allows them to camouflage and hide from predators, making them less noticeable during the periods of hatching and breeding their young.

Gray Crane, like other types, begins its flight with a smooth takeoff for the wind, accelerating and opening the huge wings just before takeoff.

Pretty gray cranes are omnivores: feed on plants (tubers, leaves, stems, acorns, berries, etc.), invertebrates (worms and insects), vertebrates (snakes, frogs, rodents and fish). Also the crane can feed and grain, while even posing a threat to crops.