Size: Height; 1.5 – 1.8m.

Habitat and Distribution: Cultivated fields, grasslands and wetlands in India, north east Australia and South East Asia.

Age: Around 26 years.

Groups and Breeding: Like all cranes, Sarus Cranes are monogamous and live in either pairs or small family groups. Mating pairs of cranes perform a mating ritual known as unison calling, which is a combination of complex calls and a display. An average of two eggs are laid with an incubation of 31 days undertaken by both males and females with males being the main protector. Chicks fledge at 50-60 days.

Diet: Frogs, reptiles, invertebrates, eggs, tubers and some plants.

• Of the fifteen different crane species in the world the Sarus Crane is the only resident breeding crane in India.
• This is the tallest flying bird in the world.
• All cranes engage in dancing, which includes various behaviours such as bowing, jumping, running, grass tossing, and wing flapping. Dancing is commonly associated with courtship, however, it is generally believed to be a normal part ‘growing up’ for cranes and can serve to relieve aggression and strengthen the pair bond.
• Threats to the Sarus Crane include loss and pollution of wetlands, the wildlife trade and even collision with overhead electricity cables.