Raggiana Bird-of-paradise vs Red-crowned Crane
Paradisaea raggiana compared with Grus japonensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Raggiana Bird-of-paradise | Red-crowned Crane |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Paradisaea raggiana | Grus japonensis |
| Order | Passeriformes | Gruiformes |
| Family | Paradisaeidae | Gruidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | 34.0 cm (13.4 in) | 150.0 cm (59.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 45.0 cm (17.7 in) | 250.0 cm (98.4 in) |
| Weight | 260.0 g (9.17 oz) | 8900.0 g (313.94 oz) |
| Diet | Fruit, seeds, arthropods, and small vertebrates. Males display at communal lek sites to attract females. | Omnivorous — fish, amphibians, insects, grasses, and waste grain. Forages in wetlands and agricultural fields. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
Tropical rainforest and forest edge from lowlands to mid-montane elevations in New Guinea.
Red-crowned Crane
Freshwater marshes, bogs, and wet grasslands for breeding. Winters in coastal mudflats, estuaries, and rice paddies.
Song & Call Comparison
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
Males emit harsh, buzzy 'kraaak' calls and explosive wailing during display. Females give softer 'waak' contact calls. Display calls are loud and chaotic at leks.
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
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
Southern and eastern New Guinea. Endemic to Papua New Guinea.
Red-crowned Crane
Eastern Asia — breeds in northeastern China, southeastern Russia, and Hokkaido, Japan. Winters in Korea and eastern China.
Conservation Status
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
Red-crowned Crane
How to Tell Them Apart
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
Males have a yellow crown, emerald-green throat, and spectacular cascading orange-red flank plumes. Females are brown with rufous underparts.
Stout, slightly curved, blue-grey bill
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
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
The raggiana bird-of-paradise is the national bird of Papua New Guinea, featured on the national flag and coat of arms. Males gather at traditional display trees to perform elaborate courtship dances, hanging upside down and shaking their spectacular flank plumes. Alfred Russel Wallace first described the species in 1873.
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.