Description:

A relatively small, ornate grey crane very similar to common crane. Adult has black head and neck with white tuft behind eye, and grey crown; black neck feathers extend as a point beyond breast, and elongated tertials project as shallow arc beyond body, giving rise to distinctive shape. Immature similar to adult.

Distribution:

Common passage migrant mainly through eastern Gilgit-Baltistan, rare in the west. On migration occurs in steppe, grassland or sandbanks near rivers or shallow lakes, cultivations and desert or semi-desert areas, up to 4200m.

Behavior:

Walks slowly while foraging. Large flocks at migration staging areas and in wintering grounds forage in cultivated fields. Mainly feeds on seeds (especially of grasses) and other plant materials; also insects, especially beetles in summer; worms, lizards and other small vertebrates.

Photo Gallery:

Range & Occurrence:

Resident Species

Summer Breeder

Winter Visitor

Passage Migrant

Distribution Map of Demoiselle Crane in Gilgit-Baltistan (Status: )

Seasonal Occurrence of Demoiselle Crane

Resources:

Birds of Pakistan: Helm Field Guides (R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
The Birds of Pakistan (T. J. Roberts)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (C. Inskipp, R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide (P. Rasmussen & J. Anderton)
Birds of India: Collins Field Guide (N. Arlott)
Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (S. Ali & S. D. Ripley)
Handbook of the Birds of the World (https://www.hbw.com)
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition
iNaturalist BoGB (inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-gilgit-baltistan)
Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (http://fb.me/birdsgb)

*Gallery images on this page are shared from flickr.com, and are copyrighted to their respective creators or owners.