Wildlifeof China
Red-crowned Crane
Cranes, Rails & Bustards
Photo: (c) Austin 0201, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0
Grus japonensis
Basic stats
Habitat
Breeding range centred on Lake Khanka on the China–Russia border; winters on the Korean Peninsula and in east-central China
Size
Standing 150–158cm; 101–150cm bill to tail tip
Wingspan
220–250cm
Weight
4.8–10.5kg
The red-crowned crane, also called the Japanese or Manchurian crane, is a large North-east Asian crane and among the rarest in the world. It is among the largest and heaviest cranes, standing about 150–158cm tall with a wingspan of 220–250cm and a weight of 4.8–10.5kg, males slightly larger. Adults take their name from a patch of bare red skin on the crown, which brightens in the mating season. Males are black on the cheeks, throat and neck while females are pearly grey there (Wikipedia, general species account).
The breeding range centres on Lake Khanka on the border of China and Russia. In the fall the birds migrate in flocks to the Korean Peninsula and east-central China to spend the winter (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Red-crowned Crane live in?
- Breeding range centred on Lake Khanka on the China–Russia border; winters on the Korean Peninsula and in east-central China
- How big is the Red-crowned Crane?
- Standing 150–158cm; 101–150cm bill to tail tip
- What is the wingspan of the Red-crowned Crane?
- 220–250cm
- How much does the Red-crowned Crane weigh?
- 4.8–10.5kg