Community Magazine August 2016

Exploring the Wild World of Animals EFRAIM HARARI A ll species of cranes are large in size, with an average height of forty inches. Some species of cranes, however, such as the Sarus crane, can grow to nearly six feet tall! Cranes have long legs and long necks, with streamlined bodies and large, rounded wings. The males and females are similar in appearance, although the males are usually slightly larger than the females. Despite their enormous body size, cranes are actually quite agile flyers. Not all species migrate, but the ones that do, fly for very long distances as they migrate between Siberia, China, and Japan. The crane is an omnivorous bird; it feeds on both plants and animals. Spending their lives close to the water, cranes primarily feed on aquatic organisms, including insects, fish, and amphibians, along with a variety of plants, including grains and tree bark. Most species of cranes nest in shallow wetlands. Female cranes construct extremely large nests (called platform nests) in shallow water, and generally lay two eggs at a time. Once hatched, the crane chicks are raised by both of their parents until they are strong enough to fledge (fly away from the family nest). Cranes are highly vocal and are easily recognized by their loud, trumpeting calls which can be heard from long distances. They have many specialized calls, and chicks begin to learn these calls soon after hatching. This enables the chicks to communicate with their parents. Besides helping the cranes maintain contact with each other, specialized calls indicate a crane’s specific needs and intentions, such as the requirement for food, flight intention, or danger. Due to the sheer size of adult cranes, they have few natural predators within their native environment. Foxes, wildcats, and large birds of prey, including owls and eagles, are the most common predators of the crane; even then it is mainly the crane chicks that are preyed upon. THE CRANE The crane is a large, long-beaked bird that is found nearly all over the world. Cranes live on every continent, with the exceptions of the Antarctic and South America. There are fifteen different species of cranes. Most species require large areas of open space and can be found inhabiting the temperatewetlandsandswamps throughout the northern and southern hemispheres. SARUS CRANE The sarus crane is the tallest flying bird in the world. It stands up to six feet tall and has a wingspan of eight feet. The sarus crane is one of the species of cranes that do not migrate. Sarus cranes can be found in parts of the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia. 90 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE