Species:

Crane (Grus grus)

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

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Length (cm):
110-120
31-35
Wingspan (cm):
220-245
77-98
Weight (gram):
4500-7000
110-150
Size group:
Bigger than a crow
Crow-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

A very large, long and slender bird. Bigger than Grey Heron. Plumage grey, with contrasting black throat and flight-feathers. White sides of neck. Tertials forms fluffed, ostrich-like rear end. Red crown visible at close range. Easily told from herons in flight by the straight neck. Juveniles with rufous head, lacking the marked pattern of adults.

Sound:

Powerful, resonant and bugling "kriiiiioooo" in various forms. Very far reaching. Often heard in duet where the female immediately answers the male call at a slightly deeper pitch. Also very vocal when flocks meet.

Call, male/female:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Piotr Szczypinski, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Differs from Arctic Tern in longer head, and more orangy red, rather than deep red, bill. Tip of bill usually black. Legs longer, but tail streamers shorter than AT. Underparts of primaries with diffusely bordered dark trailing edge (sharply bordered in Arctic Tern). Upper side of primaries with dark wedge (less apparent in winter). Secondaries opaque. Crest more apparent than in Arctic Tern and underside whiter. Juveniles with buff back.

Sound:

Similar to Arctic Tern but deeper. Lacks latter's high pitched "tip-tip-tip" call, and the drawn out "kree-aaahh" call falls more distinctly in pitch.

Call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Eetu Paljakka, Licence,Link.

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Heron-like
Silhouette
Gull-like
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file