| Cranes | ||||||||||
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 Sandhill Cranes | ||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||
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Cranes are a family of large, long-legged and long-necked birds of the order Gruiformes, family Gruidae. Unlike the similar but unrelated herons, they fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
They eat suitably sized prey such as amphibians.
There are representatives of this group on most continents.
The relationships with other members of the same order are shown below;
Gruiformes
- Aramidae Limpkin
- Psophiidae trumpeters
- Rallidae rails and crakes
- Heliornithidae finfoots and sungrebes
- Rhynochetidae Kagu
- Eurypigidae Sunbittern
- Cariamidae seriemas
- Otidae bustards
- Gruidae: cranes
Species list
Genus Grus
- Common Crane, Grus grus, also known as the Eurasian Crane
- Sandhill Crane[?], Grus americana
- Whooping Crane[?], Grus canadensis
- Sarus Crane[?], Grus antigone
- Brolga, Grus rubicunda
- Siberian Crane[?], Grus leucogeranus
- White-naped Crane[?], Grus vipio
- Hooded Crane[?], Grus monacha
- Black-necked Crane[?], Grus nigricollis
- Red-crowned Crane[?], Grus japonensis
Genus Anthropoides
- Blue Crane, Anthropoides paradisea
- Demoiselle Crane[?], Anthropoides virgo
Genus Balearica
- Black-crowned Crane, Balearica pavonina
- Grey-crowned Crane[?], Balearica regulorum
Genus Bugeranus
- Wattled Crane, Bugeranus carunculatus