Our
Beautiful World
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Sandhill Crane Photo: Andrea Westmoreland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sandhill_bare_areas.jpg |
Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Cranes live on all continents except Antarctica and South America. Most species of cranes are at the least classified as threatened, if not critically endangered, within their range. The plight of the Whooping Cranes of North America inspired some of the first US legislation to protect endangered species. They are opportunistic feeders that change their diet according to the season and their own nutrient requirements. They eat a range of items from suitably sized small rodents, fish, amphibians, and insects, to grain, rice, berries, and plants. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". While folklore often states that cranes mate for life, recent scientific research indicates that these birds do change mates over the course of their lifetimes, which may last several decades. Cranes construct platform nests in shallow water, and typically lay two eggs at a time. Both parents help to rear the young, which remain with them until the next breeding season. Some species and populations of cranes migrate over long distances; (See the Demoiselle Cranes fantastic journey across Himalaya here), others do not migrate at all. Cranes are solitary during the breeding season, occurring in pairs, but during the non-breeding season they are gregarious, forming large flocks where their numbers are sufficient. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_(bird) |
Common Crane, Grus grus The forehead and lores are black, bare red crown. The chin, throat, and anterior part of the neck are black to dark gray. The nape is slate gray. A white stripe stretches behind the eyes to the upper back. |
Grey Crowned Crane Photo: Aaron Logan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grey_Crowned_Crane.jpg The head is topped with a crown of stiff golden feathers.Neck is grey. |
Blue Crane Photo: Brian Snelson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_crane_SA.jpg Body plumage is silvery bluish gray becoming darker on the upper neck and the lower half of the head and nape. |
Brolga Crane Body plumage is silvery bluish gray becoming darker on the upper neck and the lower half of the head and nape. |
Wattled Crane The skin in front of the eye extending to the base of the beak and tip of the wattles is red and bare of feathers and covered by small round wart-like bumps. |
Sibirian Crane Face, and sides of the head are bare of feathers and brick-red in color. Eye color is reddish or pale yellow |
Sarus Crane The crown is covered with smooth greenish skin. The rest of the head, throat, and the upper neck are covered with rough orange/red skin. The ear is marked by a small area of grayish white feathers on each side of the face. |
Black-necked Crane Bare red crowns. Lores between eye and bill are sparsely covered by black hairlike feathers. The rest of the head and the upper part of the neck are black, except for a small white or light gray spot extending backward from the rear and lower edges of each eye. |
Demoiselle Crane Photo: David Slack http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_(bird) No red and white on head. A long, pure white feather plume stretches from behind the eye to well beyond the head. |
Whooping Crane Red patch on forehead, black mustache |
White-naped Crane Dark gray and white striped neck. Red around the yellow eyes. |
Black-crowned Crane The head is topped with a crown of stiff golden feathers. Neck is black. |
Red-crowned Crane Forehead and crown are covered with bare red skin, and a large white band extends from behind the eyes and meets sharply with the black lower neck. |
Sandhill Crane The forehead and crown are covered with reddish skin. Face, chin, upper throat, and nape are white to pale gray. Adults have a white cheek patch. |
Hooded Crane The top of the neck and head is white, except for a patch of bare red skin above the eye. |
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Lake
Hornborga 2005
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Main
Menu - Hovedmeny
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Cranes
in the Air - Traner
i luften
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Cranes
on the Ground Traner på bakken
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Swans
at Lake Hornborga Svaner
ved Hb-sjön
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Other
Birds etc Andre fugler osv.
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Previous
years: Tidliere år:
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Cranes Traner
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They're
still there! 2012 De
er fremdeles der!
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Cranes
- Gruidae - Traner - Gruidae
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ANIMALS over 250 |
BIRDS over 500 |
FLOWERS over 225 |