Common crane

The common crane, Grus grus, is a medium-sized crane of the family Gruidae, breeding across Europe and the Palearctic into Siberia, with its largest populations in Russia, Finland and Sweden, and wintering chiefly in Portugal, Spain and North Africa, though some populations winter in Sudan, Ethiopia, the Indian subcontinent and eastern China. It measures 100 to 130 centimeters long with a wingspan of 180 to 240 centimeters, and is slate-grey overall with a blackish forehead, a bare red crown and a white streak running behind the eyes; males are slightly larger than females. The species is strongly migratory, capable of flying at altitudes up to 10,000 meters, and performs elaborate dancing displays during courtship; the cranberry is thought to be named after it for the berries it consumes. As of 2025 the global population was estimated at about 500,000, and it is one of only four crane species not classed as threatened, listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.