Cranes ready to fly off in the morning from Bromfield Swamp. Australia has two cranes, the Brolga Grus rubicunda and rarer Sarus Crane Grus antigone. The Brolga is New Guinea's only crane, living mainly in the Trans-Fly lowlands of Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Although Brolgas have occasionally been recorded in the Torres Strait, there is apparently no regular migration or interbreeding between New Guinea and Australian Brolgas. The Sarus Crane occurs in India, South-east Asia and Australia. Genetic studies indicate it's more than 30,000 years since Australian Sarus Cranes inter


Cranes ready to fly off in the morning from Bromfield Swamp. Australia has two cranes, the Brolga Grus rubicunda and rarer Sarus Crane Grus antigone. The Brolga is New Guinea's only crane, living mainly in the Trans-Fly lowlands of Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Although Brolgas have occasionally been recorded in the Torres Strait, there is apparently no regular migration or interbreeding between New Guinea and Australian Brolgas. The Sarus Crane occurs in India, South-east Asia and Australia. Genetic studies indicate it's more than 30,000 years since Australian Sarus Cranes interbred with Sarus from SE Asia, and there is no known migration of Australian Sarus outside northern Australia. Comparing Brolgas and Sarus Cranes Both are tall, elegant, slow-moving grey birds with long legs and bill and a broad wingspan. Their distinctive calls are known as trumpeting or bugling. Sarus Cranes are slightly larger, with extensive red on the head and neck, and pink to reddish legs. Brolgas have much less red on the head, blackish legs and a dark pouch or dewlap bulging under the throat.


Size: 7360px × 4912px
Location: Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia
Photo credit: © Juergen Freund / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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