Grey Crowned Crane vs Demoiselle Crane
Balearica regulorum compared with Anthropoides virgo
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey Crowned Crane | Demoiselle Crane |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Balearica regulorum | Anthropoides virgo |
| Order | Gruiformes | Gruiformes |
| Family | Gruidae | Gruidae |
| Conservation Status | Endangered | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) |
| Wingspan | 113.8 cm (44.8 in) | 175.0 cm (68.9 in) |
| Weight | 3636.25 g (128.27 oz) | 2500.0 g (88.18 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Seeds, grasses, insects, snails, worms, and small vertebrates. Forages in grasslands and agricultural fields. |
| Clutch Size | 1-4 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Demoiselle Crane
Dry grasslands, savannas, and semi-desert. Nests on the ground in open country, often near water. Winters in agricultural fields.
Song & Call Comparison
Grey Crowned Crane
Demoiselle Crane
A high-pitched, bugling 'karr-r-r' in flight. Also gives softer clucking and purring contact calls. Migrating flocks produce a continuous musical babbling audible from great distance.
Geographic Range & Migration
Grey Crowned Crane
Demoiselle Crane
Central Eurasia from the Black Sea to Mongolia and northeastern China. Winters in India and sub-Saharan Africa.
Conservation Status
Grey Crowned Crane
Demoiselle Crane
How to Tell Them Apart
Grey Crowned Crane
Demoiselle Crane
Pale blue-grey body with a black head, neck, and breast plumes. White ear tufts extend behind the red eyes. Long black tertials drape over the tail.
Short, yellowish-olive bill, shorter than other cranes
About These Birds
Grey Crowned Crane
Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) is a tall 100–110 cm crane of eastern and southern African grasslands and wetlands. Grey body, white and red facial wattles, and a distinctive golden bristle crown. Inhabits open grassland, cultivated land, and wetland margins from Kenya south to South Africa. Roosts in trees.
Demoiselle Crane
The demoiselle crane is the smallest crane species but undertakes one of the most grueling migrations, crossing the Himalayas at altitudes over 8,000 meters to reach wintering grounds in India. Named for its elegant appearance by Marie Antoinette, it is the second most abundant crane species in the world.