White-naped Crane vs Red-crowned Crane
Grus vipio compared with Grus japonensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-naped Crane | Red-crowned Crane |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Grus vipio | Grus japonensis |
| Order | Gruiformes | Gruiformes |
| Family | Gruidae | Gruidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Endangered |
| Length | — | 150.0 cm (59.1 in) |
| Wingspan | — | 250.0 cm (98.4 in) |
| Weight | 5581.5 g (196.88 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 | 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
White-naped 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
White-naped Crane
Red-crowned Crane
Eastern Asia — breeds in northeastern China, southeastern Russia, and Hokkaido, Japan. Winters in Korea and eastern China.
Conservation Status
White-naped Crane
Red-crowned Crane
How to Tell Them Apart
White-naped 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
White-naped Crane
White-naped Crane (Grus vipio) is a large 112–125 cm crane of East Asia. Grey body; white neck and nape contrast with red bare facial skin; dark streaked neck pattern. Breeds in Mongolia and north-east China; winters in Japan, Korea, and the Yangtze valley. Vulnerable; fewer than 6,000 birds remain.
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.