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718 Featured Specimen
Demoiselle crane

Details

Demoiselle crane

Anthropoides virgo

Size
0.9–1 m · 2–2.7 kg
Diet
Omnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Herd
Lifespan

A small elegant crane with black breast plumes and white ear tufts, famous for migrations over dry steppes and high mountains.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
PalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayan

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

Uses dry grassland, semi-desert, farmland, and open areas near lakes, with wetlands and cropland used in winter.

Appearance

The body is blue-gray, the face and neck are black, and long white plumes trail behind the eyes. It is slim and small for a crane.

Behavior

Flocks feed together and migrate in large formations. Breeding pairs duet and perform jumping displays.

Feeding

Grass seeds, grain, legumes, insects, and small animals are taken while walking over dry ground.

Reproduction

Eggs are laid in a shallow ground scrape with sparse cover. Precocial chicks walk with the parents soon after hatching.

Notes

The species remains low-risk because of its broad range and large numbers, though disturbance and power-line collisions matter locally.