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| Thai Wildlife > Rare or Extinct |
Sarus Crane
Species: Grus antigone (Linnaeue, 1758)
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Gruidae
Common name: Sarus Crane
The crane is a very big bird that has a long neck and legs. The beak is narrow and long. The middle wing feathers are long and cover up to the tail of the bird.
Most of the feathers are gray except the black at the wing tips. The upper neck and the head is plain red skin. The forehead and upper part of the head is light green skin. The cheeks and chin are dark red. The eyelids are dark yellow. The beak is greenish black and the legs and feet are bright pink. The young birds have brown feathers on their head and neck.
Body length is 152 centimeters with a height of 150 centimeters. It is the tallest and largest bird in Thailand.
In the past the sarus crane was found in rice fields of every region as they like to find food in areas that are flooded by water such as swamps, ponds, rice fields, and river banks. It lives in plains and not on trees like other birds because they do not have a back toe to help them perch. However, as their habitat became eroded by industrialization and growth of cities these cranes either had less space to find food or they had to move.
The Thai sarus crane can eat both plants and small animals. Their food ranges from rice, berries, to plant roots, vegetables to worms, small insects and frogs as well as smaller birds.
The Thai sarus crane is native to Thailand and travels in large groups flying in a V-shape at very high altitudes. It mates in July-September and is very protective of the nesting area. They will generally return to their nesting area unless it has been destroyed. The sarus crane will lay 1-2 eggs at a time.
It is a sad thing that the sarus crane has been extinct in the wild in Thailand for over 20 years because of extensive hunting and the destruction of habitat. Today the International Crane Foundation together with the Forestry Department has brought the sarus crane back to Thailand. These cranes have been bred and raised at Bangpra, Cholburi. If this is successful the birds will be returned to the environment where they belong.
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