Demoiselle Crane

Demoiselle Crane

Description

The demoiselle crane is the smallest of all crane species, standing 85–100 cm tall with a wingspan of roughly 155–185 cm and weighing about 2–3 kg. It has an elegant, slender build with a pale blue-grey body, a black neck and breast that trail into a long plume, and delicate white feather tufts sweeping back from behind each eye. Males have blood-red eyes, while those of females are more orange.

Habitat

It breeds in the open steppes and semi-deserts of south-eastern Europe, Central Asia, Mongolia and northern China, favouring dry grassland near water and avoiding wetlands. In winter the birds migrate south to the Indian subcontinent, sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Sudan and Chad) and the Middle East.

Diet

The demoiselle crane is omnivorous but more strongly plant-eating than other cranes, feeding mainly on grass seeds, cereal grains and green plant parts. It supplements this with insects such as grasshoppers, and occasionally small invertebrates and other tiny animals.

Reproduction

Pairs are monogamous and typically stay together for life. The female usually lays two eggs, which both parents take turns incubating for about 27–29 days. The chicks are precocial, following their parents soon after hatching and fledging at around 55–65 days.

Lifespan

In the wild these cranes live around 20 years, while in human care they may reach over 30 years.

Did you know?

On migration, demoiselle cranes make one of the most demanding journeys of any bird, flying over the towering peaks of the Himalayas; in India they are traditionally regarded as sacred.