Great Blue Heron vs Red-crowned Crane

Ardea herodias 比較対象 Grus japonensis

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Side-by-Side Comparison

属性 Great Blue Heron Red-crowned Crane
学名 Ardea herodias Grus japonensis
Pelecaniformes Gruiformes
Ardeidae Gruidae
保全状況 Least Concern Endangered
体長 117.0 cm (46.1 in) 150.0 cm (59.1 in)
翼開長 183.0 cm (72.0 in) 250.0 cm (98.4 in)
体重 2400.0 g (84.66 oz) 8900.0 g (313.94 oz)
食性 Primarily fish, also frogs, snakes, small mammals, insects, and other birds. Hunts by standing motionless … Omnivorous — fish, amphibians, insects, grasses, and waste grain. Forages in wetlands and agricultural fields.
一腹卵数 2-7 2
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Great Blue Heron 117.0 cm
Red-crowned Crane 150.0 cm
翼開長
Great Blue Heron 183.0 cm
Red-crowned Crane 250.0 cm
体重
Great Blue Heron 2400.0 g
Red-crowned Crane 8900.0 g
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Habitat Comparison

共通生息地

Great Blue Heron only

Red-crowned Crane only

None

Great Blue Heron

Wetlands of all types including marshes, swamps, riverbanks, lake edges, and coastal shores. Also hunts in fields and meadows.

Red-crowned Crane

Freshwater marshes, bogs, and wet grasslands for breeding. Winters in coastal mudflats, estuaries, and rice paddies.

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Song & Call Comparison

Great Blue Heron

さえずり

Deep, harsh, croaking 'frahnk-frahnk' call in flight. Also gives low guttural grunts at the nest. Alarmed birds give repeated croaks. Mostly silent for such a large wader.

Red-crowned Crane

さえずり

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.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Great Blue Heron

North and Central America from Alaska and southern Canada to the Caribbean and Galapagos Islands.

Red-crowned Crane

Eastern Asia — breeds in northeastern China, southeastern Russia, and Hokkaido, Japan. Winters in Korea and eastern China.

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保全状況

Least Concern

Great Blue Heron

Endangered

Red-crowned Crane

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How to Tell Them Apart

Great Blue Heron

羽毛

Blue-grey body with a white head bearing a broad black stripe extending to a long black plume. Rufous-brown thighs. In flight, the neck is folded into an S-shape.

くちばし

Long, dagger-like yellowish bill

Red-crowned Crane

羽毛

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.

くちばし

Long, straight, olive-green bill

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About These Birds

Great Blue Heron

The great blue heron is the largest heron in North America, standing up to 1.4 meters tall. These patient hunters can stand motionless for extended periods before striking at prey with remarkable speed. They nest in large colonies called heronries, often returning to the same site year after year.

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.

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