Maiden Crane

Maiden Crane

The plumage of the juvenile crane is ash grey overall. Only the head, neck, chest and wing feathers are coloured black. Its most striking feature is certainly the two sickle-shaped white tufts behind the eyes, which extend down to the neck.

Nutrition

The Whooping Crane feeds mainly on plant material such as seeds, grains and cereals. In the summer months, it also supplements its diet with beetles, worms, lizards and other small vertebrates. It forages in large groups, moving slowly across the plains.

Distribution

It occurs in a strip from south-east Europe to China and winters in India and Africa, south of the Sahara.

The habitat of the Whooping Crane is savannahs, grasslands, steppes and semi-deserts up to an altitude of 3000 metres above sea level. It is very important for them to have access to freshwater sources such as rivers and lakes.

The breeding season of the Whooping Crane is between April and June. The nest is a simple hollow in the grassland, which is lined with a few stones and plant material. The clutch consists of 2 to 3 eggs, which are incubated for around 4 weeks, mainly by the female. The hatched young then take around 60 days to fledge. This is the shortest nesting period among cranes.

Due to its enormous range, the population of the Whooping Crane is not acutely endangered. Its numbers are estimated at around 200,000 individuals living in the wild. However, it is threatened by many human influences. Habitat destruction, poisoning by pesticides and hunting are the main problems.