Crane Grus grus   [Linnaeus, 1758]

Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links

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Order: Gruiformes Family: Gruidae
BTO Codes: AN, CRANE EURING No: 4330
Number in Britain: 13.5 pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: AMBER
European: 2 Concern, most in Europe; Depleted
Global: Least Concern ( Details )
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Resident Breeder, Passage Visitor
Subspecies: grus recorded in Britain (of 2 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 115 cm Wingspan: 232 cm Weight: M/F: 5.6 kg    
Scientific name from: L.: grus=the crane
World Distribution: BREEDS: ne&c Europe, n&c Asia, WINTERS: south to n Africa & se Asia
Habitat: Tundra, open forest, steppe, marsh
Diet: Mostly plants (eg roots, tubers, leaves, fruit, seeds), also insects, earthworms
TitBit: The call of the deep sonorous call of the crane can be heard at a distance of over three miles, and in the Homer's Iliad the sound of migrating flocks was likened to the sound of armies approaching in battle.  

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: No population trend available
Distribution: Atlas Maps    (Local Atlases)   
British Population Size:
    Summer: 13 to 14 pairs in 2010
    Winter: 50 individuals in
    Passage: 37 individuals
    First Record: 6th Century [Fossil evidence from Ipswichian (last) interglacial, c. 125,000 yr ago]
    First Breeding Record: Norfolk (after extinct 1700s) 1981
    Latest Survey: Stanbury, A. et al. (2011) British Birds 104:432-447
    Conservation Status: AMBER because Species of European Concern, Small Breeding Population,
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 AMBER     1996-2001 AMBER  
   Races of Concern:
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
    Summer: 49 to 70 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WBD(I), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA, CITES(II)
Survey Results:

Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 94 x 62 mm Egg Weight: 195.0 g (of which 11 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 0
Clutch Size: 2 eggs
Incubation: 30 days   by the: Female (occ. Male)
Fledging: 65 - 70days as: Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid: Does not breed in Britain, or too few Nest Records
Number of Broods: 1
Number Ringed: 0 (Annual Totals)
Adult Survival: 0.900       
Juvenile Survival: 0.810 (to age . )  
Age at First Breeding: 4 years Typical Lifespan: 13 years
Maximum Recorded Age: Too few birds ringed
Summary of Ringing Recoveries       

Biometrics

Ring Size: Check with Ringing Unit
Wing Length Adult: Insufficient Data
Juvenile: Insufficient Data
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Weight Adult: Insufficient Data
Juvenile: Insufficient Data
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data

Other Names

Common Crane
Gaelic: Corra-mhonaidh Welsh: Garan
Danish: Trane Dutch: Kraanvogel
Finnish: Kurki French: Grue cendrée
German: Kranich Hungarian: Daru
Icelandic: Grátrana Irish: Grús
Italian: Gru Norwegian: Trane
Polish: Zuraw zwyczajny Portuguese: Grou-comum
Spanish: Grulla común Swedish: Trana

For More Information...

Books and Monographs:
   Buxton, J. & Durdin, C. 2011 The Norfolk crane's story Wren Publishing, Sheringham Norfolk
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead