#gruidae

Genus Balearica: the crowned cranes

Dream/Morpheus as a Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum, aka East African Crowned Crane)

One of the more endangered species of crane, the Grey Crowned Crane's range is restricted to East Africa (as their other common name implies). They are about a meter or a meter and change tall (3ft 3in or so) and 7-8 lbs.

Why this one for Morpheus? Other than they are one of my favorites? Two main reasons: 1. ✨THE DRAMA✨of them. They are dressed to impress and their mug is beat. They even already have a crown, so already prepared to be King of Dreams. 2. They have a prominent red wattle beneath their chin (that also inflates a little as a pouch when they do certain vocalizations) that I am going to say reminds me of a certain red ruby. They also honk as a vocalization and given that Morpheus' laugh in canon is terrible, I enjoy that. Here's a male really fucking angry at their keeper. That also gives you a good size reference.

Dream/Daniel as a Black Crowned Crane (Balearica pavonina, aka West African Crowned Crane)

You'll never guess where these guys live.

Slightly smaller and slightly less flashy than their East African counterparts, the Black Crowned Crane is darker all over and has a primarily red cheek (while the Grey Crowned Crane has a mostly white cheek). They're like the other crowned crane, but not my crowned crane. So... Daniel it is.

Other fun facts about the crowned cranes (lower case because I am referring colloquially to the group and not to a specific species): They are the basal-most branch of the Gruidae family tree, meaning they split off from the other crane species furthest back in history. Hence why they look so different, they have literally had more evolutionary time apart and so have accumulated more different traits. They are the only cranes that can perch on branches. (If you are in the States and see a long-necked bird in a tree that is a heron or an egret, guaranteed, not a crane. Please stop calling them cranes.)

Also, everyone on the internet confuses these two species. Just be warned if you search for anything online. Look at the cheeks.

Also also, notice that they are both ___ Crowned Cranes. Two separate words. That will be important later.

Genus Leucogeranus: the Siberian Crane

Time as a Siberian Crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus)

The Siberian Crane is a critically endangered species of crane with two main populations, one that lives in eastern Russia and migrates south towards Iran and northeast India, the other that lives in far western Russia and migrates down into western China as far south as Poyang Lake. They're stocky at 11-20 lbs. and of medium height for a crane at 4.5 ft or so. They are mostly white but have black on the major flight feathers: the melanin helps make the feathers more structurally sound and wear down less quickly. Their unison call (more on what that is in a bit) sounds like an ambulance.

Sibes do this great threat display called a drop-wing display. Other cranes do versions of this, but the Siberian's is the most dramatic and is depicted in Robert Bateman's painting above. You can see the male in the pair in the video linked above do one starting at 0:26.

Why Time? Because the oldest crane of known age was an old Sibe named Wolf who was part of the captive collection at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin. He was still fathering chicks into his late 70s and passed aged 83 in the 2010s. Last I checked he still held the record for world's oldest bird. I met him when I interned at ICF and he was a grumpy, but sweet, old man with arthritis in his feet.

Genus Antigone: the grey cranes with red heads

Lucienne as a Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)

The first of our two North American cranes, the Sandhill Crane is the most abundant crane "species" in the world. I put species in quotes because there are currently five recognized subspecies, some of which never interbreed and have extensive genetic differences, which is enough for some scientists to argue they should be split into at least two different species. I worked most with these birds, both in the wild and in captivity, and love them dearly. So buckle up.

The Greater Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis tabida) is the largest subspecies, up to 5 ft tall and males can push 14 lbs. They breed in northern midwest US and southeastern Canada and migrate down to Texas and northern Mexico or Florida in the winter. The Lesser Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis canadensis) is the smallest at around 8 lbs and closer to 3.5 ft tall. They migrate from breeding grounds in Western Siberia, Alaska, and northern Canada down to the same areas of the southwestern US and northern Mexico as the Greaters. There are three small resident, non-migratory populations in southern Mississippi/Louisiana, Florida, and Cuba.

One of the most awe-inspiring migrations in nature is that of Lesser Sandhill Cranes, where upwards of 600,000 birds move through a couple miles of the Platte River in Nebraska every spring and fall. It is the last vestige of suitable stopover site where the birds can roost on the river and feed during the day, storing energy for the second leg of their journey north or south. Especially in the spring migrating flocks get bottlenecked in the Platte River Valley because they are waiting for winter to end further north; they need unfrozen wetlands to roost and nest. This results in tens of thousands of birds gathering at each roosting site on the river. Not gonna lie, there is nothing like the sound of 25,000 3.5-4 ft tall birds each with a 5+ ft wingspan all taking off at the same time right after dawn. Also, when they come in to land they look like they are parachuting in and it is adorable.

Why Lucienne/Lucien? Sandhills have the oldest fossil record of pretty much any bird, with specimens that are obviously Sandhills dated to 2.5 million years old, and potential Sandhill fossils as far back as 10 million years. This reminded me of how Lucienne is the first Raven of the Dreaming. Also, the fact that many indigenous peoples of North and Central America saw Sandhills as representative of leadership, wisdom, and longevity, all screamed Lucienne to me.

Please meet this Sandhill, Carl, who made friends with this human and then brought his family to visit.

Lucifer as a White-naped Crane (Antigone vipio)

White-naped Cranes breed in northeastern Mongolia, northeastern China, and areas of southern Russia and migrate south to central China (Poyang Lake is also important for this species), the Korean demilitarized zone, and the southern end of Kyushu, Japan. They're about 4.5 ft tall and around 12 lbs.

About half of the entire population of this species resides in Mongolia, where its largest threat is the drying-out of wetlands to support human agriculture (like with many crane species). Although less commonly seen than the Red-crowned Crane, you can find White-naped Cranes depicted across thousands of years of art in Mongolia, China, and Korea. Here's their unison call, a specific-specific pair vocalization I will talk more about in a sec.

I got to Lucifer in two ways. First, these birds look fierce, their white nape is the crane version of the most precise winged eyeliner. Second, the latter half of their scientific name, vipio, shares a Latin root with the word that means viper, and since *technically* Crowley isn't a canon Sandman character, I am going to blame the snake in the Garden on Lucifer.

This is the species of Walnut, of much internet fame for her pair-bond with her keeper. Which helps with artificial insemination.

Calliope as a Brolga (Antigone rubicunda, aka Australian Crane)

The Brolga is the crane species native to Australia and New Zealand and on the large end of cranes, with males pushing 5.5 ft tall and weighing almost 20 lbs. Interestingly, DNA shows a closer genetic relationship to the White-naped Crane than the more morphologically similar Sarus Crane.

What the hell are these two doing above? This is a breeding pair of Brolga engaging in the crane-typical unison call. This call is a coordinated duet between the male and female where their individual calls end up combining to sound like one sound. It is used to assess potential mate, show other pairs or invaders that threaten their territory that they aren't playing around, and strengthen pair bonds. All cranes have a species-specific unison call and different postures that the male and female take during the call.

I set this species as Calliope because of the indigenous stories (aka "Dreamings") of the Aborigine about the Brolga: in every version the Brolga started as a young girl or woman who loves dancing. Since Callope is a muse, I thought this very apropos, as well as amusingly opposite to Morpheus' "I do not dance."

Also, please meet Bruce, of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia.

Orpheus as a Sarus Crane (Antigone antigone)

The tallest flying bird is the Sarus Crane, weighing up to 24 lbs and pushing 6 ft tall. It is a non-migratory resident of India, southeast Asia, and northern Australia.

Friends, these birds are fucking huge. They have a wingspan that can be over 8ft. I am 5 ft 10 in and having a bird look you in the eye with a seven inch dagger for a face IS RATHER UNNERVING (it is even worse when they aren't afraid of you, see Whooping Cranes, below). Never have I been more convinced that birds are dinosaurs.

In India these birds are symbols of marital fidelity, so the connection to Orpheus was obvious. Like with many cranes, people tend to think their long-lasting pair bonds mean that they "mate for life" and often mythology around them includes how they mourn their mates when they die. This was true enough in India that even some colonial British sources advised against hunting them.

Here's the unison call. Notice how the unison calls of all of these species are similar? Yeah, that's part of them being in the same genus.

Sarus Cranes have also been in the media because of bonds with humans. But rescuing wildlife yourself like this is actually quite illegal and could be very dangerous for the animal. Note that the bird in this story has a permanently deformed leg, which is much less likely to have happened in the care of an actual rehabilitation facility. Further, the rehabbers would have taken pains to make sure the bird did not bond with humans; this is an endangered species and while a sweet story, and I am glad that the bird is alive and well, means that this one bird is now out of the gene pool.

Genus Grus, clade 1: the fancy cranes

Despair as a Wattled Crane (Grus carunculata)

The Wattled Crane is so different-looking that it was once put in its own monotypic genus, Bugeranus. They are the largest cranes in Africa and second only to Sarus Cranes worldwide. Males can push 5 ft 9 in and 20 lbs.

They tend to live in very inaccessible wetlands, meaning that they rarely interact with other species of crane, even where their ranges overlap. Further, there are a number of isolated populations across sub-Saharan Africa, including in Ethiopia, Angola, Zambia, and Botswana. Their movements are not well-understood and so no migratory patterns are known.

Their choice of habitat as well as the isolated nature of their populations, as well as their close genetic relationship to Blue Cranes, told me they were exactly right for Despair.

South Africa has made huge strides to help this species in their recovery in that country (there are only a few hundred individuals in South Africa, although they are more numerous elsewhere). They use the techniques perfected by Whooping Crane recovery projects to raise the birds so that they can be released.

Desire as a Blue Crane (Grus paradisaea)

LOOK AT THESE GORGEOUS BABIES RIGHT HERE! Speaking of ✨DRAMA✨. Also, look at the BLENDING. Obviously Desire. Blue Cranes are on the small side for cranes, not more than 4 ft tall and 13 lbs. They are the national bird of South Africa and primarily reside there, with a small population in Namibia.

The unique shape of their head is due to feathers and their dark eyes make them particularly striking. The long train that appears to be the tail is actually made of extra-long tertial feathers, as you can see in the bird on the left in the second picture: the shorter rounded bit right behind the legs is the tail, while what appears long when the wings are folded can be seen as the feathers closest to the body in the wings. This is true for all cranes, but for most species the tertials appear as a "bustle" in the back, while with the "fancy crane" group (as I like to call them), they look like a long train.

When I had the opportunity to travel to the Western Cape of South Africa I booked a one-day customized trip with a birding expert just to see these birds. I saw them in pastures not unlike the one these two are in. (The little dudes in that video are Helmeted Guineafowl.)

Delirium as a Demoiselle Crane (Grus virgo)

Demoiselle Cranes were so named because they, supposedly, imitated a graceful woman in both dancing and walking. They are the smallest crane, standing less than 3 ft tall and not even 7 lbs, with wild bright red eyes and statement hair-do. Further, in my experience, they are little avatars of chaos, so Delirium seemed the perfect fit. Here's Demi parents making sure some sheep don't get too close to their nest (narrated by the ever-amazing David Attenborough)... this gives you a good size reference.

See, when working with cranes in Wisconsin over the winter, we had to make sure the species from places that did not have snow were inside when the double-digit negative numbers hit. And while Demis fly over the Himalayan Mountains during migration, they are not snow birds. They are, however, light enough to walk on top of the snow, like a fucking Tolkien elf. Cue us keepers trudging through the waist-deep snow "chasing" this over-sized chicken of a crane inside its heated, spacious house (like tiny house-sized space I could stand up in) because it doesn't understand that it is cold enough outside to freeze its toes off. JFC.

While it may not have been obvious from previous entries, cranes can be quite social when they are not actively breeding/defending a breeding territory. Flocks of the most common species, like Demis and Sandhills, can number in the thousands or tens of thousands during migration. Even during the breeding season, nonbreeding birds (cranes generally don't reach sexual maturity until they are 2-5 years old, depending on species) will hang out in small groups that forage and roost together.

Genus Grus, clade 2: the black-and-white cranes

Death as a Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis, aka Japanese Crane)

Red-crowned Cranes are probably the most iconic species of crane. They are ubiquitous in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese art, which has made them known around the world. They are THE dancing cranes that you see photos of in the snow (like above, from Hokkaido, Japan, the only place they are resident year-round, and where they are quite endangered... I have lots of thoughts, many conflicting, about stories like this). They are elegant, strikingly colored, and would have been a prime choice for Dream except that East Asian mythology often include cranes as the birds that ferry souls of the dead to the afterlife and in all the depictions I could find online it was a Red-crowned Crane doing the ferrying. Clearly, they are Death.

These birds only get to be just over 5 ft tall, but regularly clock in over 20 lbs, making them on average the heaviest crane, despite other species being taller and having larger wingspans. The heaviest known crane was a Red-crowned Crane that was just over 33 lbs!

In other representations in East Asia, these cranes represent immortality, longevity, nobility, loyalty, happiness, and peace. In particular, they can be seen represented in Chinese symbology with peaches and tortoises, fellow symbols of longevity.

Also, note the common name!! They are "red-crowned" as in they have red of their head. They are NOT closely related to the two species of crowned cranes, which live in a totally different place and have those gold poofs on their heads.

Destruction as a Whooping Crane (Grus americana)

The tallest bird in North America is also one of the rarest birds in the world. The largest males can push 5.5 ft tall, but only weight about 16 lbs. Now, they've never been plentiful, probably numbering in the tens of thousands at their peak centuries ago, not the hundreds of thousands of Sandhills we see today, but in the 1940s they were down to literally 21 wild and 2 captive birds. Today (2025), the wild population is about 700 birds, with 131 breeding pairs, mostly in the migratory population that moves between Texas' gulf coast in the winter and central Canada in the summer. There are an additional 144 birds in captivity. Every year abandoned or second eggs (called "insurance" eggs because it is rare for wild cranes to successfully rear two young) are taken from the wild to be hand-reared by costumed humans to be released back into the wild. Here's some information about the project that has tried to raise the birds to follow ultralight fliers to learn migration routes. You can see the costumes similar to ones used with the Wattled Cranes.

The reason that Whoopers are endangered is because of overhunting (not for food, but mostly as trophy or by farmers because they cause crop damage by eating the planted soy and corn before the seeds can germinate) and habitat destruction... so Destruction they are.

You might be wondering what's going on with the legs of the bird above. Because they are so endangered, a huge proportion of these birds have been banded and/or fitted with radio transmitters so that they can be individually identified and tracked. There are three sets of bands on the bird in the picture. On the bottom, just above the bird's right toes, is a metal USGS Bird Banding Lab band. This has a unique number on it that can be used to ID the bird if caught in hand. All birds that are legally caught and released in the US by individuals with permits are supposed to have a silver band put on them. The other bands, up above the "knee" (called the hock, which is actually analogous to our heels), are color bands used to ID individual birds at a distance. The pattern of the colors is unique to the bird. I would read this one as Yellow over Red on the bird's left leg (with a radio attached) and Red-White-Green on the bird's right leg. The radio puts out a regular signal as a specific frequency that can be used to ID and track the bird at an even greater distance.

My favorite Whooping Crane story is that of George Archibald, co-founder of the International Crane Foundation and first ornithologist who pair-bonded with a female crane in order to bring her into breeding condition. Archibald danced, called, and walked around with Tex the Whooping Crane for three years. The result was Gee Whiz, the first crane hatched from artificial insemination and Tex's only chick because she died suddenly shortly thereafter.

Gee Whiz has pair bonded with and bred multiple female Whooping Cranes. But because he was so important and so famous, he was around humans all the time. Which means he isn't afraid of them. And he is almost 6 ft tall. Dagger on his face and not afraid of you in the slightest with a territory and a mate to protect. Now imagine that looking at you through a 1 ft square window in a door like a goddamned Jurassic Park velociraptor.

Here's their unison call.

Hob as a Common Crane (Grus grus, aka Eurasian Crane)

He's just a guy. Just a regular dude. Hob is a Common Crane. Average size (4-5 ft), average weight (6-13 lbs.). They are mostly gray. Just some dudes.

Yes, those little orange muppet-fluffballs on the right are baby cranes. Within a week of hatching, I'd guess. Like chickens and ducks, all cranes are precocial: once their feathers dry after hatching the chicks will get up and start eating and drinking on their own. This is unlike songbirds (robins and blue jays and the like), whose chicks are blind helpless pink pencil erasers when they hatch and have to be fed by their parents regularly so they don't die. Crane parents' main job upon their chicks hatching is to protect them from predators, keep them warm at night, and show them the best places to find food.

These cranes are overall not endangered, but they were extirpated from UK back in the 17th century, but there has been a reintroduction program there and, along with some birds that got there naturally, there are now about 70 or so pairs breeding on the British Isles. On continental Europe they likely number around 500,000 individuals.

Destiny as a Hooded Crane (Grus monacha)

Not only do Hooded Cranes have "hoods" like Destiny, but monacha comes from the same root as 'monk' in Latin, which is just perfect for Destiny. These two adults have two juveniles with them, which you can tell by the yellowy-orange that is still dusting their heads. The adults are almost guaranteed to be their parents, and I'd guess the one in front is the male just because it looks a hair larger. They'll join up with other cranes in far eastern Russia, north of China, as the breeding season comes to a close and migrate in large groups to where they overwinter in more central China (where the ground isn't frozen!). There are also populations that migrate to Korea and Japan. Hooded cranes are on the small side, reaching only over 3 ft in height and weighing about 8-10 lbs. Just tall chickens, right?

Night as a Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis)

The Black-necked Crane looks extremely similar to the Common Crane: the major differences being that their bodies are whiter and they don't have white on their cheeks and back of their head. They breed on the Tibetian Plateau and some winter along rivers in southern China and Bhutan. These birds are about 4-4.5 ft tall and weigh about 12 lbs. (Bigger chickens?)

Black-necked Cranes are important in Bhutanese Buddhist traditions, where they are symbols of longevity, peace, and prosperity, and are avatars of ancestors and lost loved ones.

Which, of course, doesn't speak to dear Mother Night and her A++++ parenting at all. But nigricollis means black hill/high ground and these birds exist at some extremely high elevations in the Himalayas, which I am going to call close to the night sky. (Also I was at the end of my list of cranes and I needed to go somewhere with this one.)