Red-crowned Crane
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| Grus japonensis (Statius Muller, 1776 |
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The Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis), also called the Japanese Crane or Manchurian Crane, is a large crane and is the second rarest crane in the world. In East Asia, it is known as a symbol of luck and fidelity. At 55 inches high, the crane does not make easy prey, for all that it stands out in its natural habitat of marshes and swamps. When it matures, the Red-crowned Crane is snow white with a patch of red skin on its head.
[change] Description
In the spring and summer, the Red-crowned Crane lives in Siberia, where their eggs hatch. Normally the crane lays 2 eggs, with only one surviving. Later, in the fall, it migrates in flocks to Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and other countries in East Asia to spend the winter. All Red-crowned Cranes migrate, except for a flock that stays in Hokkaido, year long.
[change] Diet
The crane eats small amphibians, aquatic invertebrates, insects, and plants that grow in marshes and swamps.
