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Bird Sightings : Hebrides : Common Crane

Common Crane

Grus grus

Photography © Martin Scott
Steinish - Isle of Lewis - Outer Hebrides (Western Isles)
June 2008

 

Our Common Crane photographs

Common Crane Adult in summer plumage June	Common Crane Adult in summer plumage June	Common Crane Adult in summer plumage June	Common Crane Adult in summer plumage June

 

• Common Crane
• Grus grus
• UK: Accidental
• WI: Very rare visitor (five or less records). Previous record 1906
• Breeds: Remote places. Nest mound of vegetation. Reedbeds in lakes, Bogs in Northern Forests. Scandinavia, Russia
• Winters: Spain
• Diet: Plant material, insects
• Huge bird - up to 6 feet tall! (Length 96 -119cm, wing-span 180 -222cm). Very long legs, long narrow neck. Ostrich-like bulky "tail" plume (dark). Plumage mostly pale blue-grey, flight feathers grey-black. Breeding adult often has brownish stain on back. Head & upper neck black & white. Hindcrown bare, red coloured. Sexes similar.

 

In June 2008 a Common crane came to Lewis, it has been sighted near Stornoway in the Steinish area, on a ploughed and sown field near the airport and also around Melbost farm.

 

Read more about the common crane sighting in Lewis:
http://www.western-isles.info/page1532.html

 

Common Crane records in the Western Isles

Very rare visitor (five or less records)
Previous record 1906

The chart below shows how abundant the Common Crane is during a month or when you are more likely to see it.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D

(Source: Outer Hebrides Birds Checklist)

 

 

Other local bird photographs

Sources of information for the bird sightings section

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