Photo: Andreas Eichler / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Common Crane
Grus grus
Common Crane (Grus grus) — Cranes & Rails of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Common Crane (Grus grus) is a member of the Gruidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 5.5 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Gruiformes
- Family Gruidae Cranes
- Genus Grus
- Species grus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 5.5 kg
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Gruidae
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Common Crane is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Common Crane is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Common Crane (Grus grus) belongs to the Gruidae family of the order Gruiformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL widespread.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 5.5 kg, with a wing length of about 54.1 cm and a tail of around 19.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 15.5 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Common Crane?
The Common Crane is a very large bird that weighs around 5.5 kg.
Where does the Common Crane live?
The Common Crane is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL widespread, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Common Crane belong to?
The Common Crane (Grus grus) belongs to the Gruidae family, in the order Gruiformes.
What does the Common Crane eat?
The Common Crane is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Common Crane migrate?
The Common Crane is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Common Crane endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Common Crane make?
1 real field recording of the Common Crane — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Common Crane's range?
The Common Crane has a mapped global range of about 15.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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