Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology:  Antigone (named for mythic Antigone) canadensis ("of Canada")

Adult Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) at St Charles, Illinois - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: Antigone candensis tabida
Weight: 2.7-6.7kg  /  Height: 80-136cm  /  Wingspan: 1.65-2.3m
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

By numbers, by far the most numerous of extant crane species with a range that covers much of Canada and the US, and in many places an iconic symbol of Spring as it returns from migration. It is unusually tolerant of humans for a crane, in some places even adapting to urban environments.  It has one of the most well documented fossil histories of extant birds with this species or it's immediate ancestors being documented up to 10-million years ago in the fossil record.

Related Species:
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Gruidae
Genus: Grus
SUBSPECIES: A. c. canadensis, A. c. tabida, A. c. pratensis, A. c. pulla, A. c. nesiotes

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES

A widespread breeding visitor to Alaska, West and the Great Lakes region, Wintering in Texas, Florida and California. Resident population also in Florida.
 - CHICAGO-ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen at St Charles, Illinois and Anchorage, Alaska 

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Red-Crowned Crane (Grus japonensis)

OTHER NAMES: Japanese Crane, Manchurian Crane

Latin Etymology: Grus ("crane") japonensis ("Japanese")

Ten adult Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) at Akan Crane Centre, Hokkaido, Japan - December 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 7.5kg  /  Length: 100-150cm  /  Height: 150-158cm  /  Wingspan: 220-250cm

ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Endangered

The Red-Crowned or Japanese Crane is without a doubt the most iconic bird of Japan.  There are actually six species of regularly occurring crane in Japan, but the Red-Crowned Crane is the largest and the only species to be resident in the country.  This was a close thing - at one point it was considered extinct in Japan, and it wasn't until a small group was found and started being fed and protected that their numbers rebounded.  They can now be seen in various places across Eastern Hokkaido, but the greatest congregation of feeding sites is in the Kushiro Marsh area.  I saw these at the Akan International Crane Center, which apparently has the closest views of the major feeding sites, though my first sighting was actually of a small flock from the main road near the airport!

Related Species:
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Gruidae
Genus: Grus
Subspecies: None (monotypic)

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese: タンチョウ  /  Tanchō ("Red-cap")   ///  Ainu: Sarurunkamui ("God-spirit of the Marshes")

Rare (but locally numerous in Winter) resident of Hokkaido, vagrant elsewhere

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Numerous at Akan Crane Centre (around 40-50 individuals) plus three seen en-route near Kushiro Airport.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Common Crane (Grus grus)

OTHER NAMES: Eurasian Crane, Crane

Latin Etymology: Grus ("crane") grus ("crane")

Adult Common Crane (Grus grus) at Willow Tree Fen, Lincolnshire - August 2023

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 3-6.1kg  /  Height: 100-130cm  /  Wingspan: 1.8-2.4m
UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A huge bird, and one that has only recently returned from extinction in the UK after an absence since the 17th Century, the breeding population is still very small and localised to Eastern England with only around 6 pairs breeding.  There is however a slight influx of Wintering birds to a wider area - these birds here have apparently been around the Nene Washes near Peterborough this Winter, bizarrely for an incredibly endangered bird - visible from a cafe on a motorway feeding on the field opposite.  This is very much a bird which you'll have to track down to see, and as the breeding site is not made public, it might take a little bit of luck.

Related Species:
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Gruidae
Genus: Grus
Subspecies: none - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Very rare resident breeder (9-14 pairs), rare Wintering species (c.52 birds) and very rare passage migrant.

 - A number of birds seen on several occasions in and around Nene Washes 

Further Notes: Birdforum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .