Demoiselle Crane vs Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
Anthropoides virgo compared with Cicinnurus respublica
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Demoiselle Crane | Wilson's Bird-of-paradise |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anthropoides virgo | Cicinnurus respublica |
| Order | Gruiformes | Passeriformes |
| Family | Gruidae | Paradisaeidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | 16.0 cm (6.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 175.0 cm (68.9 in) | 19.0 cm (7.5 in) |
| Weight | 2500.0 g (88.18 oz) | 55.0 g (1.94 oz) |
| Diet | Seeds, grasses, insects, snails, worms, and small vertebrates. Forages in grasslands and agricultural fields. | Fruit and insects gleaned from the forest canopy and subcanopy. Particularly favors figs. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Demoiselle Crane only
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise only
Demoiselle Crane
Dry grasslands, savannas, and semi-desert. Nests on the ground in open country, often near water. Winters in agricultural fields.
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
Lowland and hill forests on the small islands of Waigeo and Batanta in the Raja Ampat archipelago, Indonesia.
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.
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
Male gives a harsh, nasal 'waah' or 'eeah' from display perch. Song is poorly documented in wild. Also produces mechanical rattling wing sounds during display flights.
Geographic Range & Migration
Demoiselle Crane
Central Eurasia from the Black Sea to Mongolia and northeastern China. Winters in India and sub-Saharan Africa.
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
Endemic to the islands of Waigeo and Batanta off the northwestern tip of New Guinea, Indonesia.
Conservation Status
Demoiselle Crane
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
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
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
Males have a brilliant red back, yellow nape, turquoise blue bare crown, and green breast shield. Violet-blue curled tail wires. Females are brownish with bare blue crown.
Short, slightly curved greyish 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.
Wilson's Bird-of-paradise
Wilson's bird-of-paradise is one of the most extraordinarily colored birds on Earth. Males meticulously clear a patch of forest floor as a display court, removing every leaf and twig. The species was virtually unknown to science until the late 20th century due to its restricted island range.