102 BULLETIN 186, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Family GRUIDAE 



GRUS ANTIGONE SHARPII Blanford 



Burmese Sarus Crane 



Orus {Antigone) sharpii Blanford, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, vol. 5, 1896, p. 7 



(Burma). 

 Antigone sharpei, Gyldenstolpe, Kungl. Svenska Vet.-Akad. Handl., 1916, p. 141 



(Muang Fang). 

 Antigone sharpii, Gyldenstolpe, Ibis, 1920, p. 765 ("Throughout the whole 



country"). 

 Antigone antigone sharpei, de Schauensee, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 



1929, p. 583 (about 10 kin. north of Ban Chong). — Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. 



Nat. Hist. Suppl., 1931, p. 170 (Chiang Mai). 

 Antigone antigone sharpii, Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 1936, p. 



80 (Chiang Mai). 



The crane is a common permanent resident on the plains of Chiang 

 Rai Province ; at Chiang Mai it has been recorded only during the cold 

 weather (December 8 to March 23), sailing high overhead in flocks of 

 8 to 40 birds. 



Attention may be drawn to the cranes by their clarion calls, which 

 can be heard when the migrating birds are almost invisible in the 

 sky. On the Chiang Rai savannas they are often seen from the high- 

 ways, stalking about the marsh in pairs or family parties. Because of 

 the open country they inhabit and the wide range of vision commanded 

 by such tall birds, it is seldom possible to approach within gunshot 

 range of them. However, I have been told that when one of a pair is 

 killed or wounded, its mate refuses to leave its side, so that both are 

 usually destroyed. This is confirmed by de Schauensee, who writes 

 (1929) : "If one bird is wounded the others then seem to lose all fear 

 and refuse to leave their companion. They run along with the 

 wounded bird, if it is able to run, and take short circling flights above 

 it, uttering their musical trumpet-like Krrrrrr call." 



Gyldenstolpe records ( 1916) that he was showm a nest with a light-set 

 egg near Muang Fang ; this was probably in July 1914. He describes 

 the nest as a large structure about one-half meter in diameter, made 

 of grass and other vegetable matter, placed on a tuft and about 30 

 cm. from the ground. He quotes a number of curious observations or 

 beliefs, in connection with the bird's behavior in the breeding season, 

 told him by a Lao informant. 



De Schauensee states that a male had the irides orange; the bare 

 skin of the crown greenish gray ; the skin of the rest of the head and 

 the naked portion of the neck dusky crimson ; the feet and toes crimson. 



This is a huge bird, with the head and upper neck unf eathered and 

 chiefly of a red color ; it has the plumage generally soft gray, the pri- 

 maries and primary coverts blackish. 



