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More About Cranes ...
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Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds of the order Gruiformes, and family Gruidae. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". Cranes mate for life. Some species of cranes migrate over long distances, while cranes in warm climates do not migrate at all. Cranes are gregarious, forming large flocks where their numbers are sufficient.
Everywhere crane numbers are diminishing. The plight of the Whooping Cranes of North America inspired some of the first US legislation to protect endangered species.
They are opportunistic feeders that may change their diet according to the season. They eat suitably sized prey such as small rodents, fish and amphibians, but will eat grain and berries during late summer and autumn (the cranberry is so-named from its being extensively eaten by some northern species of crane).
There are representatives of this group on all the continents except Antarctica and South America. Not all the "cranes" in Australia are actually cranes: the "White Crane" is actually the Great Egret while the "Blue Crane" is the White-faced Heron.
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Taxonmony
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Gruidae
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Source: Wikipedia Read more about Cranes
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