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Sarus Crane (Antigone antigone) Size: 1.1-1.3 m (female), 1.3-1.5 m (male); wing span 2.2-2.5 m Body mass: 5-12 kg

Australia: Family Group 7 Family Group 7 Table Dusky Moorhen Australasian (Purple) Swamphen Black-tailed Native-hen Tasmanian Native-hen Pale-vented Bush-hen Eurasian Coot White-browed Crake Spotless Crake Baillon's Crake Australian Spotted Crake Lewin's Rail Buff-banded Rail Red-necked Crake Chestnut Rail White-breasted Waterhen Lord Howe Woodhen Australian Bustard Brolga Sarus Crane Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Sarus Cranes are very tall, nearly all-grey cranes. The only deviations from an all-grey plumage are a scarlet-red facial mask that wraps around the nape of the neck (except for the ear coverts, which are grey) and upper neck, to about 10 cm below the chin. The bill is grey; the legs and feet are pinkish-grey. Juvenile birds are brown where adults are scarlet. Compared with Brolgas, Sarus Cranes have more scarlet down the upper part of their necks, lack the black "dewlap" and also lighter-coloured legs.

Taxonomy, classification See Sarus Crane at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Sarus Crane is available HERE . Sarus Cranes populate parts of northern central and western India, parts of South-East Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam), and parts of tropical Australia. In Australia race "gilliae" populates only Cape York peninsula (except the tip northward of about Weipa), down to about Cairns, QLD, and into the catchments of the two major southern tributaries to the Gulf of Carpentaria, namely the Gregory River and the Flinders River. There are also populations at the confluence on the Burdekin River on the QLD East coast, and in wetlands of other major rivers along the tropical North of Australia, up to about the Ord River on the NT/WA border. In the past, the distribution of Sarus Cranes was much more wide-spread throughout the (near-)coastal tropical North of Australia, but now their range outside of QLD is largely restricted to the inaccessible wetlands in the floodplains of major rivers. Sarus Cranes are found in wetlands, open grassland and also in commercial crops and on pasture.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "gilliae" A number of Sarus Cranes, race "gilliae", were seen, together with lots of Brolgas, by M. Mearns along the Gulf Development Road, about 100 km North-West of Croydon, QLD, in October 2014. M. Eaton reports finding Sarus Cranes, race "gilliae", at Lakefield NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, in August 2019. Others were found at Atherton, QLD, in June 2024 and again in October 2024. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours reports spotting Sarus Cranes, race "gilliae", at Hasties Swamp in the Atherton Tablelands, QLD, on various occasions.

Photos

Race "gilliae"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an adult Sarus Crane (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Near Karumba, QLD, September 2019]

Frontal view of a Sarus Crane surrounded by Brolgas; note the Sarus Crane's red upper neck and the pink legs, while the Brolgas' are grey (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Near Karumba, QLD, September 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Sarus Crane front (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atherton, QLD, October 2024]

Lateral view of a Sarus Crane front (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atherton, QLD, October 2024]

Lateral view of a Sarus Crane shaking out its plumage (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Atherton Tablelands, QLD, September 2023]

Lateral view of a Sarus Crane (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atherton, QLD, June 2024]

Lateral/near-dorsal view of two Sarus Cranes (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atherton, QLD, June 2024]

Near-dorsal view of a Sarus Crane looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atherton, QLD, June 2024]

Near-dorsal view of a Sarus Crane (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atherton, QLD, June 2024]

Near-dorsal view of two Sarus Cranes (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Atherton Tablelands, QLD, July 2020]

Dorsal view of a Sarus Crane (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atherton, QLD, June 2024]

Dorsal view of a mob of Sarus Cranes (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Atherton Tablelands, QLD, September 2023]

Direct comparison between a female Brolga, back, and an adult Sarus Crane, front (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Croydon, QLD, September 2019]

Lateral view of two Sarus Cranes in flight front (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atherton, QLD, October 2024]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a sub-adult Sarus Crane - note the pale red skin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atherton, QLD, June 2024]

Near-dorsal view of a sub-adult Sarus Crane (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atherton, QLD, June 2024]

Lateral view of an adult Sarus Crane, right, with the head of an immature also visible on the left (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[100 km NW of Croydon, QLD, October 2014]

Lateral view of a Sarus Crane with a juvenile in tow (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Atherton Tablelands, QLD, June 2022]

Small group of Sarus Cranes and Brolgas, with a juvenile Sarus Crane on the right; note the large number of birds in the background (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[100 km NW of Croydon, QLD, October 2014]

Behaviour

Lateral view of Sarus Cranes foraging in a fallow cane field (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Atherton Tablelands, QLD, September 2023]

Lateral view of two (male?) Sarus Cranes settling a dispute (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Atherton Tablelands, QLD, September 2023]

Lateral/dorsal view of two (male?) Sarus Cranes settling a dispute (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Atherton Tablelands, QLD, September 2023]

Food, Diet

Lateral view of a mob of Sarus Cranes foraging in a fallow field (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atherton, QLD, June 2024]

Near-dorsal view of a Sarus Crane foraging in a fallow field (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atherton, QLD, June 2024]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

sarus_me_20240621.m4a	(Atherton Tablelands, QLD)	Various (in flight)	© ME
sarus_me_20240621_2.m4a	(Atherton Tablelands, QLD)	Various (in flight)	© ME

More Sarus Crane sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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