Black Crane - description, habitat, interesting facts

Among all cranes, it is worth highlighting a specific species of black individuals that are literally on the verge of extinction. Birds have received their conservation status, but for certain reasons, such as environmental pollution and the human factor, the population is still declining. Today we will talk about the black cranes - beautiful and stately birds deserving the most detailed description. These individuals lead a hidden lifestyle, so there is little information about them. But we will highlight the main aspects so that you can form your own opinion.

Description and habitat

1. Representatives of the family are distinguished by their large dimensions. By the size of the body, these birds grow to a meter. As for the weight category, individuals are in the range of 3-4 kg.
2. In their format, individuals do not stand out with a large head, it looks disproportionate against the background of a thick neck and a large body.The neck in a calm position is in the shape of "S".
3. Beak average in length, strong enough, bent at the edge. Legs elongated, thin, but very strong. On paws on 4 fingers, the fourth finger is rejected back, on it there is no claw.
4. The tail is lush thanks to the plumage. It is average in length. Body plumage is thick and moderately whipped. Almost the whole body is covered with gray plumage with a blue tone. Cranes can be found with ash black plumage.
5. The feathers on the wings and tail are exclusively dark, closer to black. The neck is white, the head is also with a light tone. There are no feathers on the crown, so this area looks bright and red.
6. In the zone of the base of the beak, the color is pink, and at the end with a greenish subtone. The legs are black, have a characteristic brown color. Females almost do not stand out with anything, they are only smaller in size than individual males.
7. These birds live in many territories, their specific distribution has not been fully studied. It is only known that quite a lot of members of the family are in Siberia.
8. For wintering individuals are sent to China, as well as to Japan and other warm lands.By the nature of their stay, these birds are migratory, nomads, nest several times in a row in one place, then move to another.

Nutrition

1. Birds from the family in question prefer to eat vegetable food. Their basic diet includes rhizomes, aquatic vegetation, shoots and inflorescences, fruits.
2. Cranes can also eat berries, be it blueberries, cranberries, cranberries or blueberries. They love cereals, so they are found near agricultural land.
3. Food depends on what season of the year we are talking about. Also, the diet can be different in males and females, adults and young.
4. When problems begin with food, cranes switch to another food. They catch invertebrates, frogs, eat insect larvae, salamanders, and other small animals.
5. In many nurseries, individuals are treated to rice grains, corn, millet and other crops of the grain plan. When the migration to warm countries begins, the birds stop at the corn, wheat and buckwheat fields for a refreshment.

Breeding

1. These cranes are monogamous individuals.During the mating season, the birds depict rather beautiful dances. Birds in every way twist in front of each other and jump. They also bend over, flapping their wings and throwing tufts of grass.
2. It is believed that individuals resort to dancing only in the mating season, but numerous observations have confirmed that this behavior is quite characteristic of cranes on ordinary days. Thus, the birds show their feelings, pacify aggression and tension.
3. In nesting, cranes are showing excessive caution. For this reason, finding a nest is very difficult to determine. In the coastal areas, birds equip homes 70 meters from the edges of open swamps. Often nests are placed in small earthen recesses. Moist moss, peat, leaves of sedge, stems and branches of birch and larch are laid at the bottom of the nest.
4. Egg weight reaches only 20-25 grams. Often the color may be brown, greenish or brownish. In any case, there are large dark blotches. The female is usually engaged in vidis. The young growth begins to appear in a month. At this time, the male is engaged in obtaining food in open areas.
5. Such a move allows the crane to view all the approaches to the nest. In rare cases, for a short time, the male can replace the female while incubating. Sometimes a couple starts shouting over each other, at this very moment you can find a nest of birds.
6. If a person tries to calculate the nest, the male will begin to fly low among the larches and shout loudly. At this point it is very difficult to determine the location of the nest. After that, the male flies away. The female, in turn, already knows about the danger.
7. If the person does go to the nest purposefully, the male returns. He takes a special stand and starts screaming, distracting attention. At this time, the female hides the nest and tries to get lost among the larches.
8. To find the newly emerged young, it is worth making a lot of effort. Such a task is considered almost impossible. Often a couple lays 2 eggs. Nestlings, as a rule, always survive. The young hides very well and always follows the guidance of their parents.

Interesting Facts

Black cranes are rare and endangered species of birds. For this reason, they are listed in the Red Book.The population is carefully guarded, any manipulation of the destruction of individuals is prohibited. It is also this representative of the family that is engraved on a silver coin of the Bank of Russia.

Today you have got acquainted with an interesting bird, which has its protective status and is on the verge of extinction. Black cranes are depicted on silver coins of the bank of our country, they occupy an honorable place among other feathered friends.

Video: Black Crane (Grus monacha)