Black Crowned Crane vs Red-crowned Crane
Balearica pavonina compared with Grus japonensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Crowned Crane | Red-crowned Crane |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Balearica pavonina | Grus japonensis |
| Order | Gruiformes | Gruiformes |
| Family | Gruidae | Gruidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Endangered |
| Length | — | 150.0 cm (59.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 108.7 cm (42.8 in) | 250.0 cm (98.4 in) |
| Weight | 3412.5 g (120.37 oz) | 8900.0 g (313.94 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Omnivorous — fish, amphibians, insects, grasses, and waste grain. Forages in wetlands and agricultural fields. |
| Clutch Size | 2-3 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Red-crowned Crane
Freshwater marshes, bogs, and wet grasslands for breeding. Winters in coastal mudflats, estuaries, and rice paddies.
Song & Call Comparison
Black Crowned Crane
Red-crowned Crane
Spectacular unison 'bugling' call: a clear, resonant, far-carrying trumpet 'kru-ru-ru' given by paired birds simultaneously. Among the most majestic bird calls in Asia.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Crowned Crane
Red-crowned Crane
Eastern Asia — breeds in northeastern China, southeastern Russia, and Hokkaido, Japan. Winters in Korea and eastern China.
Conservation Status
Black Crowned Crane
Red-crowned Crane
How to Tell Them Apart
Black Crowned Crane
Red-crowned Crane
White body plumage with black secondary flight feathers and throat. Bare red crown patch. Black face and neck. One of the most elegant crane species.
Long, straight, olive-green bill
About These Birds
Black Crowned Crane
Black Crowned Crane (Balearica pavonina) is a tall 100–105 cm crane of the Sahel and West Africa. Grey body with black neck and head, red and white facial wattles, and golden crown. Inhabits wet grasslands, flooded savannas, and lake margins from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Sudan.
Red-crowned Crane
The red-crowned crane is one of the rarest crane species and a potent symbol of longevity and fidelity in East Asian culture. Their elaborate unison call and dancing displays have inspired art and folklore for millennia. The resident population on Hokkaido, Japan, recovered from about 33 birds in 1952 to over 1,800 today.