Crane (bird)
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Cranes are the family, the Gruidae, of large, long-legged, & long-necked birds in the companies Gruiformes. The 15 breed of cranes are placed in three genera, Antigone, Balearica, & Grus. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes glide with necks outstretched, non pulled back. Cranes work up on almost continents, with the exception of Antarctica and South America.
They are opportunistic feeders that conform their diets according to the season and their own nutrient requirements.[] They eat a range of items from small rodents, eggs of birds, fish, amphibians, and insects to grain and berries.
Cranes defecate platform nests in shallow water, and typically lay two eggs at a time. Both parents support to rear the young, which advance with them until the next breeding season.
Some category and populations of cranes migrate over long distances; others form not migrate at all. Cranes are solitary during the breeding season, occurring in pairs, but during the nonbreeding season, near species are gregarious, forming large flocks where their numbers are sufficient.
Most species of cranes have been affected by human activities and are at the least classified as threatened, if non critically endangered.[] The plight of the whooping cranes of North America inspired some of the first US legislation to protect endangered species.