Grey Crowned Crane vs Red-crowned Crane
Balearica regulorum compared with Grus japonensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey Crowned Crane | Red-crowned Crane |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Balearica regulorum | Grus japonensis |
| Order | Gruiformes | Gruiformes |
| Family | Gruidae | Gruidae |
| Conservation Status | Endangered | Endangered |
| Length | — | 150.0 cm (59.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 113.8 cm (44.8 in) | 250.0 cm (98.4 in) |
| Weight | 3636.25 g (128.27 oz) | 8900.0 g (313.94 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Omnivorous — fish, amphibians, insects, grasses, and waste grain. Forages in wetlands and agricultural fields. |
| Clutch Size | 1-4 | 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
Grey 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
Grey Crowned Crane
Red-crowned Crane
Eastern Asia — breeds in northeastern China, southeastern Russia, and Hokkaido, Japan. Winters in Korea and eastern China.
Conservation Status
Grey Crowned Crane
Red-crowned Crane
How to Tell Them Apart
Grey 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
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.
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.