This article will talk about one of the most interesting and largest birds. This is a crane. In total, 7 species of such birds live in Russia. Of these, the most common and numerous is the common gray crane.
Habitat
Gray cranes nest in western and northern Europe, in many territories of Russia (up to the basin of the Kolyma and Transbaikalia), in China and in northern Mongolia. They are also a little seen in Altai, in Tibet and Turkey. In winter, cranes, like most birds, usually migrate south: to East and North Africa, to Spain, France, the Middle East, India and China (south and east).
Places of their nesting: in marshy areas and in floodplains of rivers (swampy). In case of shortage of wetlands, they can settle in the vicinity of agricultural land. Usually for wintering cranes choose more elevated places, rather densely covered with grassy vegetation.
Gray crane: photo, description
Males and females practically do not differ from each other in appearance. The predominant color of adults is gray. Some feathers are only slightly colored black: fly feathers (primary, secondary, tertiary and covering), as well as tail feathers (their tops).
On the crown of the bird, feathers are practically absent, and the area of bare skin on it is reddish. A gray crane always walks with a red “cap” on its head (the photo clearly demonstrates this).
The lower part of the neck, its sides, part of the head (back) and chin are brownish-black. A white stripe stands out sharply on the neck and head of the bird, which runs along the sides of the head to the rear edge, as well as on the outside of the neck.
This is a fairly large bird: height - 115 cm, and wings have a wingspan of up to 2 meters. The weight of males reaches 6 kg, and females - a little less (5.900 kg). The color of the plumage allows the bird to camouflage itself in the forests from enemies. The beak reaches a size of up to 30 cm. The gray with red ends of the feathers has a young gray crane. The limbs of the bird are dark.
Breeding
Gray crane - a monogamous bird. She keeps her couple for life. Only if the female or male dies, then the surviving bird finds itself another life partner. And another pair can form in the event of unsuccessful long-term attempts to have offspring.
From April to July, the breeding season lasts. As a rule, the pair is formed before the start of the flight to the place of future nesting. After arriving at the place, the female and the male arrange the same peculiar ritual dances. They are bouncing, flapping wings and an important prancing gait.
Above or near the water, a piece of land (relatively dry) is selected, always among the dense vegetation (reeds thickets, etc.). This is a place for a nest. Male and female announce the choice of a suitable place in a lingering voice. Thus they mark their territory.
The nest itself is large (more than 1m in diameter). It is built from a wide variety of materials. Usually 2 eggs are laid by a female. The incubation period lasts up to 31 days. Both male and female hatch eggs. Soon after birth, the chicks may leave the parent nest. Their full plumage occurs after about 70 days.
Lifestyle Features
The gray crane, as already noted above, starts to dance in a peculiar way upon arrival to its homeland. He does this either alone or in a pack. During this period, the birds are very careful, so you can observe all this only from afar. Cranes at nesting sites usually never form mass clusters, i.e. pairs nest far away from each other.
Female and male build a nest very quickly and carelessly. In the end, it is just a bunch of brushwood collected from nearby territories. Inside the nest is a tray lined with dry grass. As a rule, older birds occupy their nests (last year). Such a nest can serve a pair of cranes for several years, just every year the birds update it a little.
Distribution of cranes in Russia
The gray crane in Russia is represented by two subspecies - western and eastern. they differ little from each other. The border of their distribution, as well as their subspecies independence, has been studied relatively poorly in the country today. It can approximately be said that the border that separates these two subspecies extends along the Ural Range. The western subspecies live in European Russia, and the eastern - in Asian.
Moreover, it is known that for wintering the gray crane from the European part of the country flies to Africa (Morocco, Egypt, etc.), and from the eastern (living mainly in Siberia) - to the north of India or to China. A small part of the gray cranes overwinter in the Caucasus.
In conclusion, the most interesting
At the very beginning of the mating season, gray cranes cover their feathers with mud and silt. This allows them to disguise themselves and hide from predators, making them less noticeable during periods of hatching and hatching of their chicks.
The gray crane, like other species, begins its flight with a smooth run in the wind, accelerating and revealing huge wings just before takeoff.
Gray cranes are quite omnivorous: they feed on plants (tubers, leaves, stems, acorns, berries, etc.), invertebrates (worms and insects), vertebrates (snakes, frogs, rodents and fish). The crane can also feed on grain, while even creating a threat to the crop.