Demoiselle Crane

The demoiselle crane is the smallest species of crane, breeding across central Eurasia from the Black Sea east to Mongolia and northeast China. It is 85 to 100 cm long and weighs 2 to 3 kg, with a long white neck stripe and black on the foreneck extending down over the chest in a plume. It breeds in open, sparsely vegetated habitats, usually near water, laying two eggs in a minimal nest on grass or bare ground. The birds are migratory: those from western Eurasia winter in the Sahel region of Africa and those from Asia in the Indian subcontinent, where they gather in large flocks on farmland and roost in shallow water.

About the demoiselle crane

The demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo) is the smallest species of crane, a long-legged migratory bird that breeds on the steppes of central Eurasia and winters in Africa and the Indian subcontinent. It is closely related to the blue crane of southern Africa, and some authorities place both in the genus Anthropoides, while others put the demoiselle in Grus.

Carl Linnaeus described the species in 1758 as Ardea virgo. The name virgo is Latin for "maiden," and "demoiselle" goes back further: in 1738 the English naturalist Eleazar Albin wrote that the bird earned the name because its walking, bowing and dancing seemed to imitate a graceful lady. No subspecies are recognized.

The bird measures 85–100 cm (33.5–39.5 in) long and stands about 76 cm (30 in) tall, with a wingspan of 155–180 cm (61–71 in). It weighs 2–3 kg (4.4–6.6 lb). Its plumage is similar to the common crane's, though it is slightly smaller. Black feathers on the front of the neck run down over the chest in a long plume, and a white stripe extends from the corner of the red eye to the back of the head. Those white feathers can be lengthened during displays.

Unlike most cranes, the demoiselle has no bare red skin on its head; the head is fully feathered, gray from crown to nape. It also has short toes and a short bill. These suit life in dry uplands, where shorter toes help it run in grassland and a shorter bill makes pecking for food more efficient. Males and females look alike, though males are usually larger. Young birds are largely gray by the time they fledge, a color that helps camouflage them.

Behavior and diet

Demoiselle cranes are diurnal, feeding mostly in the morning and early afternoon. They are generalists and opportunists, pecking at the ground with lowered heads in dry uplands, croplands and pasture. Plants make up much of the year-round diet, including seeds, leaves, acorns, nuts, berries, fruit and waste grain. They add insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, plus worms, snails, lizards, snakes, small birds and rodents.

Pairs mate for life as long as breeding succeeds. Birds may first breed at two years old, but successful breeding often does not come until they are four to eight. Partners keep their bond with duets called unison calls, which last from a few seconds to a minute. During the duet both birds keep their wings closed, the female pointing her bill upward and the male holding his level.

Like other cranes, demoiselles dance. Their dance is more balletic than the common crane's, with less leaping. It is a long sequence of bows, runs, short flights and tossing objects into the air. Dancing spreads easily through a flock, and onlookers often circle the pair and join in.

Eggs are laid in April and May on a bare patch of ground or grass, sometimes with a few twigs and pebbles. The usual clutch is two yellow-green eggs spotted with lavender. Both parents incubate, the female doing most of it, and the eggs hatch after 27 to 29 days. Chicks fledge in 55 to 60 days, the shortest fledging period of any crane, and stay with their parents for 8 to 10 months. Breeding pairs defend their nests fiercely, chasing foxes and dogs and attacking eagles.

Range and habitat

The demoiselle crane breeds across central Eurasia from the Black Sea east to Mongolia and northeast China. It prefers open country with a wide view, usually near water. Habitats range from semi-arid savanna, grassland and steppe to high plateaus, and even desert, as long as water is within 200 to 500 m (660 to 1,640 ft). An isolated resident population once lived in the Atlas Mountains of northwest Africa.

It is a long-distance migrant. Western birds winter in the Sahel of Africa, from Lake Chad east to southern Ethiopia, while birds from Asia, Mongolia and China winter in the western Indian subcontinent. Between August and September they gather in flocks of up to 400. Most migrate at low altitude, but some reach 4,900 to 7,900 m (16,000 to 26,000 ft) crossing Himalayan passes to India. In India they form large flocks on farmland, sometimes mixing with Eurasian cranes while keeping to their own groups, and they roost at night in shallow open water.

Demoiselle crane vs blue crane

The demoiselle's close relative is the blue crane of southern Africa, and some authorities group the two together in the genus Anthropoides. They are easy to separate by range.

Because the demoiselle is the smallest crane, every other species, including the sandhill crane and red-crowned crane, is bigger.

Conservation status

The demoiselle crane is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and is on Appendix II of CITES. Its outlook is described as more stable than that of many other crane species, with large populations in eastern and central Asia.

It still faces threats. Grasslands are being converted to farmland, and dams, urban growth, pollution, oil development and power-line collisions all take a toll. The birds have learned to breed in crop fields on the steppes, but they can damage ripening millet and other crops, and farmers sometimes poison or shoot them. They are also hunted or trapped for food and the pet trade during migration. The isolated resident population in the Atlas Mountains of northwest Africa is now extinct.

In North India the bird is known as the koonj or kurjan and appears often in poetry and proverb. Tradition holds that the first verse of the poet Valmiki was inspired by a hunter killing one of a courting pair of demoiselle cranes.