Demoiselle Crane vs Eurasian Wren
Anthropoides virgo compared with Troglodytes troglodytes
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Demoiselle Crane | Eurasian Wren |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anthropoides virgo | Troglodytes troglodytes |
| Order | Gruiformes | Passeriformes |
| Family | Gruidae | Troglodytidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | 9.5 cm (3.7 in) |
| Wingspan | 175.0 cm (68.9 in) | 15.0 cm (5.9 in) |
| Weight | 2500.0 g (88.18 oz) | 9.0 g (0.32 oz) |
| Diet | Seeds, grasses, insects, snails, worms, and small vertebrates. Forages in grasslands and agricultural fields. | Insects and spiders, gleaned from dense vegetation, rock crevices, and bark. Active and restless forager. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 3-9 |
| 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.
Eurasian Wren
Dense undergrowth in woodlands, gardens, hedgerows, and rocky areas. Prefers tangled vegetation close to the ground.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Eurasian Wren
Extraordinarily loud for its tiny size: a rapid, powerful stream of trills, buzzes, and churring phrases. One of Europe's loudest songs by volume relative to body weight.
Geographic Range & Migration
Demoiselle Crane
Central Eurasia from the Black Sea to Mongolia and northeastern China. Winters in India and sub-Saharan Africa.
Eurasian Wren
Eurasia from Iceland and western Europe to Japan. The only wren species found outside the Americas.
Conservation Status
Demoiselle Crane
Eurasian Wren
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Eurasian Wren
Warm rufous-brown upperparts with fine dark barring. Pale buffy underparts with barred flanks. Short, often cocked tail.
Thin, slightly curved, dark brown bill
About These Birds
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.
Eurasian Wren
The Eurasian wren is one of the smallest birds in Europe but possesses an astonishingly loud song for its size. Males build multiple dome-shaped nests, from which the female selects one to line and use. In British folklore, the wren is known as the king of birds for outwitting the eagle in a flying contest.