The Zoochat Photographic Guide to Cranes

We can't let TeaLovingDave have all the fun with the "offical" guides, so I figured I'd throw my hat into the ring as well. Now crane taxonomy is pretty up in the air at the moment, and virtually every authority you talk to will give you a different answer onto current classification. After speaking with multiple individuals from the ICF, San Diego Zoo, and a few other facilities, along with numerous online sources, the consensus is that there are two-three main views that are currently competing for dominance. Keeping in tradition with the other zoochat photographic guides, I have opted to go (more or less) with the taxonomy presented by the Handbook of the Birds of the World website, along with the removal of subspecies for the Eurasian Crane and of the "Canadian" Sandhill Crane (A.c.rowani), these changes are largely agreed upon by everyone I have spoke with. In the name of keeping things fair, I will also include the other two most popular taxonomies at the end of this guide.

Anyway, pushing that aside, what virtually everyone *can* agree with, is that there are fifteen different species of cranes, with twelve different subspecies between them. They are a rather well represented group here in the zoochat galleries, and this guide will be pleasantly well fleshed out, missing only one subspecies of sandhill.

So without further adieu, on to the cranes!

 

Subfamily Balearica-Crowned Cranes

• Balearica (2 species)
  • Black Crowned Crane
  • Grey Crowned Crane

Subfamily Gruinae-Typical Cranes

• Leucogeranus (1 species)
  • Siberian Crane
• Bugeranus(1 species)
  • Wattled Crane
• Anthropoides (2 species)
  • Blue Crane
  • Demoiselle Crane
• Antigone (4 species)
  • Sandhill Crane
  • White Naped Crane
  • Sarus Crane
  • Brolga
• Grus (5 species)
  • Red Crowned Crane
  • Whooping Crane
  • Common Crane
  • Hooded Crane
  • Black Necked Crane

 

Subfamily Balearica

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Balearica

Black Crowned Crane (Balearica pavonina)

The range of this species is scattered broadly across northern Africa in a belt going across the continent from Gambia to Ethiopia; with the majority of the population found within Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, Senegal, and Gambia.

Two subspecies recognized

B.p.pavonina photo by @Blackduiker



B.p.ceciliae photo by @cockatoospirit



Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum)

This species ranges widely from the DRC, Uganda and Kenya down to South Africa, and several countries in between, including small isolated populations in southwest Angola and northwest Namibia.

There are two subspecies recognized

B.r.regulorum photo by @Daniel Sörensen



B.r.gibbericeps photo by @Daniel Sörensen

 

Subfamily Gruinae

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Leucogeranus

Siberian Crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus)

This endangered species breeds in northeastern Russia, with non breeding birds also spending summers scattered across Mongolian and winters almost exclusively around Poyang Lake in the Yangtze River Basin in China. The is a separate population consisting of only a handful of birds that summers in northwestern Russia and winters in north central Iran along the Caspian Sea.

Monotypic

Photo by @alexkant

 

Antigone

Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadiensis)

The Sandhill is by far one of the most widespread species of crane. It breeds throughout virtually all of Canada in suitable habitat outside of northeastern Quebec and some of the maritime provinces. It also breeds over much of Alaska, and in the northern continental United States as well. The migratory populations wintering grounds spread over much of the southern states and northern Mexico. There are also three main non-migratory populations, living in Mississippi, Florida, and Cuba, respectively.

There are five subspecies currently recognized

A.c.canadiensis photo by @Hyak_II



A.c.tabida photo by @Animal



A.c.pulla photo by @snowleopard



A.c.pratensis photo by @gentle lemur



A.c.nesiotes no photo in zoochat galleries

White Naped Crane (Antigone vipio)

This species has a breeding range spreading in a fairly narrow band from north central Mongolia, through northern China and southeastern Russia. There are three main wintering areas, the western half of the population winters over in the Yangtze River Valley in China, while the eastern half of the population has three main areas to overwinter, either on the North/South Korean border, the southern coast of South Korea, or Kyushu Island of Japan.

Monotypic

Photo by @NigeW



Sarus Crane (Antigone antigone)

This warm weather bird has four distinct populations. There is one large non-migratory population that resides in northern Indian and western Nepal, and peaks into far eastern Pakistan as well. East of that is a non-migratory population scattered throughout Myanmar, followed up by a population that exhibits local migration throughout southern Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia depending on the season. The southernmost reach of this species is another non-migratory population in northern Australia.

There are three subspecies

A.a.antigone photo by @ThylacineAlive



A.a.sharpii photo by @Chlidonias



A.a.gilli photo by @KevinB



Brolga (Antigone rubicunda)

This is a non-migratory species that ranges throughout northern and eastern Australia. It also has two smaller separate populations, one in southeastern Australia and another in southwest Papua New Guinea.

Monotypic

Photo by @ronnienl

 

Bugeranus

Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus)

This large and aggressive crane resides in central Africa, centering on Zambia and its surrounding countries. There is a separate, rather dense population that occupies a small area of eastern South Africa, along with another distinct population that inhabits central Ethiopia. The species is non-migratory throughout its range.

Monotypic

Photo by @molinea

 

Anthropoides

Blue Crane (Anthropoides paradesea)

This beautiful species is virtually endemic to South Africa, where is can be found throughout much of the south and east of the country. There is also a small, separate population that occurs in a small area of northern Namibia. This species is entirely non-migratory.

Photo by @Hyak_II



Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo)

This common crane species breeds over much of Eurasia, spreading from the Ukraine in the west to far eastern China, and several countries in between, however much of the population breeds in Kazakhstan. There are two main wintering populations, one that occurs in Northern Africa that is centered in Sudan and its neighbors to the east and west, and another that can be found over much of India, and that also flows over into Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Monotypic

Photo by @vogelcommando

 

Grus

Red Crowned Crane (Grus japonensis)

This massive and highly endangered crane has a fragmented population throughout much of eastern Asia. It breeds throughout northeastern China, southeastern Russia, and northern Japan, and winters mainly along the southeastern coasts of China and on the Korean Peninsula. There is also a non-migratory population on the island of Hokkaido, Japan.

Monotypic

Photo by @KevinB



Whooping Crane (Grus americana)

This is the worlds most endangered, and arguably most well known species of crane. The only natural population left breeds in Wood Buffalo National Park on the border of Alberta and the Northwest Territories in Canada, and migrates to the Aransas Wildlife Refuge on the south coast of Texas in the United States during the winters. This population is also the species main stronghold, containing over half of the birds total population with over 500 individuals. There is a reintroduced migratory population that breeds in central Wisconsin and winters in a small number of states between Indiana and Florida in the United States. There are also two reintroduced non-migratory populations in the US, one in Louisiana and another in Florida. These reintroduced populations, however, are struggling to breed and are not yet self sustaining, with the majority of birds coming into these populations via captive bred reintroduction's, and not natural breeding.

Monotypic

Photo by @Hyak_II



Common/Eurasian Crane (Grus grus)

This is another common and incredibly widespread crane that breeds over much of northern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Its is similarly widespread over its wintering grounds, occurring over southern Europe, northern Africa, much of the Indian Subcontinent and southern China, and numerous countries in between.

Monotypic

Photo by @gentle lemur



Hooded Crane (Grus monacha)

This delicate looking crane breeds mainly in eastern Russia, along with smaller populations in northern China. Non-breeding birds will also summer slightly more west of the breeding birds, in Mongolia, China, and Russia. Birds winter along the Yangtze river in China, the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula, and southern Japan.

Monotypic

Photo by @zoo_enthusiast



Black Necked Crane (Grus nigricollis)

This unique looking bird breeds at high elevations in northern India, central China, and over much of the Himalayan mountain range. It winters primarily in south China and Bhutan.

Monotypic

Photo by @Deer Forest

 

Now as mentioned at the beginning of this guide, here are the other two most commonly accepted taxonomies for the crane family:

Subfamily Balearica-Crowned Cranes

• Balearica (2 species)
  • Black Crowned Crane
  • Grey Crowned Crane

Subfamily Gruinae-Typical Cranes

• Leucogeranus (1 species)
  • Siberian Crane
• Antigone (4 species)
  • Sandhill Crane
  • White Naped Crane
  • Sarus Crane
  • Brolga
• Grus (8 species)
  • Wattled Crane
  • Blue Crane
  • Demoiselle Crane
  • Red Crowned Crane
  • Whooping Crane
  • Common Crane
  • Hooded Crane
  • Black Necked Crane

OR


Subfamily Balearica-Crowned Cranes

• Balearica (2 species)
  • Black Crowned Crane
  • Grey Crowned Crane

Subfamily Gruinae-Typical Cranes

• Bugeranus(1 species)
  • Wattled Crane
• Anthropoides (2 species)
  • Blue Crane
  • Demoiselle Crane
• Leucogeranus (1 species)
  • Siberian Crane
• Grus (9 species)
  • Black Necked Crane
  • Brolga
  • Eurasian Crane
  • Hooded Crane
  • Red Crowned Crane
  • Sandhill Crane
  • Sarus Crane
  • White Naped Crane
  • Whooping Crane

 

I was going to make this thread, but you beat me too it...

 

I actually was going to ask before I saw this thread had been posted.

 

I saw this thread and automatically knew that the common crane photo would be one of @gentle lemur's iconic Slimbridge shots!

 

*Blushes*

 

I wonder how many animal groups will have an official and unofficial guide by the time people stop ignoring the mods' request.

I agree with you, though, in that this is a very well-done one.

~Thylo

 

No need to be bashful, you're one of the best photographers on the site.

As do I, best "unofficial" official guide to date. Kudos to @Sarus Crane for their stork thread as well.

 

Agreed

I still think people shouldn't be making random unofficial threads, though. Just ask and, to be quite blunt, if you're asked not to you probably shouldn't be making it anyway

~Thylo

 

Thanks. Glad you like it.

 

Not gonna lie, if I could've created the Demoiselle Crane I would've swapped its height with the Sarus. Its THAT incredibly elegant!