Sarus Crane

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Description

The sarus crane is the tallest crane species and it’s known as the tallest flying bird in the world. Males are larger than females, but otherwise are identical in appearance. The head is pale green and orange-red in color and the body is light gray.

Range & Habitat

Sarus cranes can be found in southern and southeastern Asia. There is a subspecies that is also found in northeastern Australia. Their optimal habitat includes seasonal marshes, floodplains, high altitude wetlands, human-altered ponds, fallow and cultivated lands, and rice paddies.

Behavior

These cranes are non-migratory and utilize a variety of landscapes, depending on food availability, crop patterns, and seasonal factors. Their courtship consists of unison calls and dancing. However, dancing is not limited to courtship; sarus cranes will also dance to thwart aggression, relieve tension and strengthen pair bonding.

Diet

Sarus cranes feed on aquatic plants such as tubers of sedges, invertebrates, grains, small vertebrates, and insects.

Conservation

Main threats to wild sarus crane populations are loss and degradation of wetlands, as a result of drainage and conversion to agriculture, ingestion of pesticides, the hunting of adults, and the collection of eggs and chicks.

Fun Facts

Indian birds inhabit open wet and dry grasslands, agricultural fields, marshes and pools, while the South-East Asian and Australian species prefers the dry Savannah woodlands.
Unlike other cranes, the sarus crane’s trachea, or windpipe, is modified to coil into a chamber that amplifies sound.
Sarus cranes mate for life and are considered a symbol of marital bliss in many asian cultures.
Sarus cranes are known for their loud trumpeting calls that can carry for several miles.
The name “Sarus” comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘belonging to the water’.