Crane (bird)

Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds of the order Gruiformes, and family Gruidae. Unlike the similar-looning but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".

They eat suitably sized prey such as amphibians.

There are representatives of this group on most continents.

The relationships with other members of the same order are shown below;

Gruiformes

• Aramidae Limpkin
• Psophiidae trumpeterss
• Rallidae railss and crakes
• Heliornithidae finfoots and sungrebes
• Rhynochetidae Kagu
• Eurypigidae Sunbittern
• Cariamidae seriemas
• Otidae bustards
• Gruidae: cranes
  • Common Crane, Grus grus, also known as the Eurasian Crane
  • Sandhill Crane, Grus canadensis
  • Whooping Crane, Grus americana
  • Sarus Crane, Grus antigone
  • Brolga, Grus rubicunda
  • Siberian Crane, Grus leucogeranus
  • White-naped Crane, Grus vipio
  • Hooded Crane, Grus monacha
  • Black-necked Crane, Grus nigricollis
  • Red-crowned Crane, Grus japonensis
  • Blue Crane, Anthropoides paradisea
  • Demoiselle Crane, Anthropoides virgo
  • Black-crowned Crane, Balearica pavonina
  • Grey-crowned Crane, Balearica regulorum
  • Wattled Crane, Bugeranus carunculatus

A crane is the Egyptian heiroglyphic symbol for the letter "B." Also, the word "pedigree" comes from the Old French phrase, "pie de grue", which means "foot of a crane", as the pedigree diagram looks similar to the branches coming out of a crane's foot. The historical Aztec people of South America get their name from cranes. Aztecs are people from the region Aztlan which literally means "near the cranes" (azta cranes, tlan near).