Classification
- Order: Gruiformes
- Family: Gruidae
- Genus: Grus
- Species: vipio
About White-naped Cranes
White-naped cranes are a tall, elegant bird species with pink legs and dark gray plumage and silver-gray wings. The bird's hind neck, nape and top of the head are white, and its eyes are surrounded by a deep red patch of skin. Male and female white-naped cranes are virtually indistinguishable from one another, although in breeding pairs females tend to choose larger males.
White-naped cranes are a somewhat social species. In many portions of their range, white-naped cranes can be found in the company of other crane species. For example, though this species prefers habitats that are less aquatic than the red-crowned crane’s, these species will share the same breeding range. They prefer areas where their nests can be concealed and there is little grazing pressure.
Fun Fact
Cranes are the tallest of all flying birds, and they can be found on every continent except Antarctica and South America.
White-Naped Crane at the Akron Zoo
White-naped cranes can be found in the zoo’s Legends of the Wild area.
- Khing – male, band on his right leg, born July 9, 2019
- Yena – female, band on her left leg, born July 10, 2019
Khing and Yena are brother and sister.