Animal: Crane

Scientific Name: Numerous, depending on the type and species

Animal Type: Bird

Habitats: Savanna and Wetland, River and Lakes

The Crane:

Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds; unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. 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.

Physical Characteristics:

Cranes are easily recongnizable by their long necks and long legs. When in flight, cranes exhibit a variety of behaviors with their necks, including extending and curling them depending on the species. They can be seen in a variety of colors and plumage. They vary in size from 3 feet to 5 and a half feet. These birds are usually seen in small groups of 2-5 and they forage while walking in shallow water or in fields, sometimes probing with their long bills.

Food Chain:

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, berries, and plants.

Habitat features:

Though cranes can be found on the savanna, they prefer freshwater marshes, wetter grasslands, and the edges of water bodies. There are representatives of this group on all the continents except Antarctica and South America.