?Sarus Crane Conservation status: Vulnerable
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Gruiformes Family: Gruidae Genus: Grus Species: G. antigone
Binomial name
Grus antigone Linnaeus, 1758

The Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) is a resident breeding bird in northern India, Nepal, Southeast Asia and Queensland, Australia. it used to be found on occasion in Pakistan, but has not been found since the late 1980s. It is the world's tallest flying bird. The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive. ... Sarus Crane, cropped version of existing uploaded image From original en: Sarus Crane, originally uploaded to Dutch wikipedia by user Jcwf; photographed by himself File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Many - see section below. ... Families †Gastornithidae Aramidae Psophiidae Rallidae Heliornithidae Rhynochetidae †Aptornithidae Eurypigidae Cariamidae Otidae Gruidae †Phorusrhacidae The diverse order Gruiformes contains about 12 bird families with, on first sight, little in common. ... Genera Grus Anthropoides Balearica Bugeranus Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds of the order Gruiformes, and family Gruidae. ... Genera Grus Anthropoides Balearica Bugeranus Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds of the order Gruiformes, and family Gruidae. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as , (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[1] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... 1758 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Orders Many - see section below. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Emblems: Faunal - Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus); Floral - Cooktown orchid (Dendrobium bigibbum); Bird - Brolga (Grus rubicunda); Aquatic - Barrier Reef Anemonefish (Amphiprion akindynos); Gem - Sapphire; Colour - Maroon Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Const. ...

This is a very large crane, averaging 156 cm in length, which is found in freshwater marshes and plains. It nests on the ground, laying two to three eggs in a bulky nest. Unlike many cranes which make long migrations, the Sarus Crane does not. Both the male and female take turns sitting on the nest, and the male is the main protector. They mate for life. Genera Grus Anthropoides Balearica Bugeranus Cranes are large, long-legged with large talons and long-necked birds of the order Gargoyles, and family Gruesome killers. ... Freshwater marsh in Florida In geography, a marsh is a type of wetland, featuring grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, cat tails, and other herbaceous plants (possibly with low-growing woody plants) in a context of shallow water. ... In geography, a plain is a large area of land with relatively low relief. ... An average Whooping Crane egg is 102 mm long, and weighs 208 grams In some animals, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... A basket style nest A nest is place of refuge built to hold an animals eggs and/or provide a place to raise their offspring. ... // Long-distance land bird migration Many species of land migratory birds migrate very long distances, the most common pattern being for birds to breed in the temperate or arctic northern hemisphere and winter in warmer regions, often in the tropics or the temperate zones of the southern hemisphere. ...

Adults are grey with a bare red head and white crown and a long dark pointed bill. In flight, the long neck is kept straight, unlike herons, and the black wing tips can be seen; their long red or pink legs trail behind them. Genera See text. ...

Sexes are similar, but young birds are duller and browner. The Indian, Southeast Asian and Australian subspecies differ mainly in plumage shade. there are some slight size differences, but on average the male is larger than the female. These males can exceed six feet in height and have an eight+ foot wingspan, making them the tallest living flying bird.

These birds are usually seen in small groups of 2-5 and they forage while walking in shallow water or in fields, sometimes probing with their long bills. They are omnivorous, eating insects, aquatic plants and animals, crustaceans, seeds and berries, small vertebrates, and invertebrates. An omnivore (from Latin: omne all, everything; vorare to devour) is an animal that eats both plants and meat. ...

The Indian population is about 10,000 birds, and the Australian population of 5,000 birds may be increasing, but the southeast Asian subspecies has been decimated by war and habitat modification and destruction (such as intensive agriculture and draining of wetlands). The species is venerated in India and legend has it that Valmiki cursed a hunter for killing a Sarus and was then inspired to write the epic Ramayana[1]. Maharishi Valmiki (Sanskrit: वाल्मिकी, vālmikī) is the author of the Hindu epic Ramayana. ... The (Devanagari: ) is a Sanskrit epic attributed to the poet Valmiki and is an important part of the Hindu canon (smṛti). ...

In Australia, the Sarus can easily be mistaken for the Brolga. The Brolga has a more widespread distribution across Australia, and its red colouring is confined to the head. The Brolga and Sarus are genetically quite distinct. Binomial name Grus rubicunda (Perry, 1810) The Brolga (Grus rubicunda) is a bird in the crane family. ...

References

• BirdLife International (2006). Grus antigone. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is vulnerable
• Grimmett, Richard; Carol Inskipp, and Tim Inskipp (1999). Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, illus. Clive Byers, Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-04910-6.
• Matthiessen, Peter (2001). The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes, illus. Robert Bateman, New York: North Point Press. ISBN 0-374-19944-2.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Peter Matthiessen (born May 22, 1927 in New York City) is an American author of historical fiction and non-fiction. ...

Media

Videos of the Sarus Crane at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Image File history File links Grus_antigone1. ... Image File history File links Grus_antigone2. ...

External links

• International Crane Foundation's Sarus Crane page
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