English: Common Crane, Eurasian Crane
German: Grauer Kranich, Kranich
Latin / scientific: Grus grus
Italian: Gru
French: Grue Cendree

Subspecies: Grus grus lilfordi (Lilford Crane; Eastern Eurasian Crane)

Description / characteristics (adults): 115 centimetre (= 45 inches). His lengthened black "tail" (it isn't his real tail at all) formed by the inner arm-wings sets the Common Crane apart from storks and herons. The general colouring is slate-grey, a white line on the head's side and the neck is contrasting from the blackcoloured remaining face and the black throat. At close range you are able to make out a red parting. The bill is smaller than that of storks and herons.

Juvenils: Head and upper side are brown without any white markings whick only adult individuals have. The bushy "tail" of the adults has not been developed so far yet.

Behaviour: extremely timid. The Common Crane is striding slowly and gracefully. Having become suspicious he is craning his neck in order to see a potential danger early enough. His flight is slow but powerful - neck and legs are stretched out.

Area of spreading: (West), Middle and East Europe

Captivity: yes, see above zoos

Voice / calls:

Call No. 1: Two adult together with their juvenils at close range. The adults can be identified by their trompetlike calls, the juvenils by their high whistling sounds.

Call No. 2: Big flight of cranes at their rasting place (at great distance).

Both calls have commendably been made available by the Music-Company "Edition AMPLE".