Descriptivs List of the Cominon Birds 



7 he Cranes, 177-179 



Cranes are large, tall, long-shanked birds 

 which have a loud, trumpet-like call. The 

 three common Indian species are chiefly grey 

 in colour. They never perch in trees, but 

 rest and nest on the ground. When they fly 

 they carry the neck and feet stretched out 

 straight. When they fly in company the flight 

 takes a V-shaped form, like that of a flight of 

 geese. 



177. Grus communis : The Common Crane. 

 (F. 1407), (J. 865), ( + V; about twice the 

 size of a kite.) 



This bird is the cooking of sportsmen. Its 

 general colour is dark French grey. Its head 

 is almost devoid of feathers, and there is a 

 square, dark red patch of skin across the back 

 of the head. It has a broad white band 

 running down each side of the long neck. Its 

 legs are black. 



It is a winter visitor to India. It is fairly 

 common in N. India, but rare in the south. 



It is usually seen in flocks, which spend the 

 middle of the day on sandbanks in the middle 

 of rivers. (Illus. I. G. III., p. 21.) 



178. Grus antigone : The Sarus. (F. 1409), 



197 



