Do you know where cranes live or what they like to eat?
Do you know how tall cranes are or why many cranes have a red patch on their heads?
Do you know how many eggs a crane lays, or what a young crane is called?
Do you know how many crane species are threatened by extinction?

1. Where do cranes live?
A. Rain Forests
B. Wetlands
C. Grasslands

2. What do cranes eat?
A. Plants
B. Animals
C. Crane Chow

3.How tall are cranes?
A. 6 feet
B. 3 feet
C. 4- 6 inches

4. How much do cranes weigh?
A. 1,000 pounds
B. 5 pounds
C. 20 – 25 pounds

5. How long is a crane’s wingspan?
A. 8 feet
B. 6 inches
C. 11 feet

6. How do you tell the difference between a male and female crane?
A. The female is not as brightly colored as the male.
B. Only the female incubates the eggs and cares for the young.
C. It is often difficult to tell the difference between a male and female crane.

7. Why do cranes have a red patch on their heads?
A. To warn other cranes
B. To attract a mate
C. They are embarrassed

8. What are young cranes called?
A. Joey
B. Colt
C. Cygnet

9. How many eggs do cranes lay in a clutch, or group, of eggs?
A. 1 egg
B. 2 eggs
C. 2-5

10. What are the threats to cranes?
A. Habitat loss
B. Pollution
C. Wild animal trade or hunting

11. How many crane species are threatened by extinction?
A. All 15 species
B. 0 species
C. 11 species

8-A. Joey
A joey is a young kangaroo.
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8-B. Colt
Correct!A colt is a name for a young horse, but it is also the name for a young crane.Young cranes are also commonly called chicks.
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8-C. Cygnet
A cygnet is a young swan.
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9- A. 1 egg
Correct!Most species of cranes lay more than 1 egg in a clutch.However, the Wattled Crane often lays only a single egg.
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9-B. 2 eggs
Correct!Cranes normally lay 2 eggs in a clutch.Both parents share the responsibility of incubating the eggs, which normally hatch after just 30 days.
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9-C. 2-5
Correct!The 2 species of crowned cranes may lay 2-5 eggs in a single clutch.
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7-A. To warn other cranes
Correct!Most species of crane have a red patch on the top or sides of their head that is used as a warning like a stop sign.The red patch is made of small pouches of skin, which are filled with blood vessels.If a crane feels excited or threatened, they can pump extra blood into the pouches and increase the red color as a warning to another crane or other animal.
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7-B. To attract a mate
Although the red color is used to communicate with other cranes, it is generally not used to attract a mate like the bright colors of a male peacock.
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7-C. They are embarrassed
When we are embarrassed, our cheeks and faces often turn bright red. However a red patch on a crane’s head does not mean that they are feeling this way.
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6-A. The female is not as brightly colored as the male.
Although this rule applies to many songbirds, such as cardinals (the male cardinal is bright red, while the female is a duller rust color), it does not apply to cranes.Male and female cranes are usually identical in their coloration and markings.
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6-B. Only the female incubates the eggs and cares for the young.
Only the female lays the eggs, but both the male and female share the responsibility of incubating their eggs and raising their young.
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6-C. It is often difficult to tell the difference between a male and female crane.
Correct!Male and female cranes look very similar, so it can be difficult to tell them apart.Both genders have the same markings and are often the same size.Researchers that study cranes look for subtle differences in a bird’s body shape, size, or their call to correctly identify them as a male or female.
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5-A. 8 feet
Correct!The tallest crane, the Sarus Crane, also has the longest wingspan, which measures 8 feet long!
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5-B. 6 inches
Correct!A week-old crane chick may have a wingspan that is only 6 inches long.As the chicks grow, their wingspan will get longer and longer until they reach adult size after only 3 or 4 months.
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5-C. 11 feet
Although cranes have impressive wingspans, the wingspan of a Wandering Albatross may measure over 11 feet in length - the longest wingspan of any living bird!
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11- A. All 15 species
Fortunately, not all crane species are threatened.There are some species, such as the Sandhill Crane and Eurasian Crane, whose populations are generally stable or are slowly increasing.
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11-B. 0 species
Unfortunately, there are many species of crane that are threatened.However, there are many people and organizations throughout the world, such as the International Crane Foundation, that work to help protect cranes.
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11-C. 11 species
Correct!Currently 11 species of crane are considered threatened by extinction.This makes cranes one of the most threatened families, or groups, of birds in the world.
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10-A. Habitat loss
Correct!Currently, the biggest threat to all species of crane is the loss of their wetland and grassland habitats, or homes.As the human population increases throughout the world, we are destroying many of the places where cranes and other wildlife live.
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10-B. Pollution
Correct!Many of the products that we use every day – detergents, fertilizers, pesticides – run off into wetland areas and can negatively affect the plants and animals living in these areas where cranes live.
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10-C. Wild animal trade or hunting
Correct!Some cranes are illegally captured in the wild and kept as pets or sold to private collectors or zoos throughout the world.Other crane populations are threatened by illegal or unregulated hunting that quickly reduces the size of wild populations.
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4-A. 1,000 pounds
A construction crane weighs more than 1,000 pounds, but a bird weighs much less.Do you know why?Cranes are very light, so they can fly!
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4-B. 5 pounds
Correct!The smallest species of crane, the Demoiselle Crane, weighs only 5 pounds!
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4-C. 20 – 25 pounds
Correct!The heaviest species of crane, the Red-crowned Crane, may weigh up to 20 – 25 pounds during the winter, when their bodies develop extra fat to help keep them warm.
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3-A. 6 feet
Correct!The tallest species of crane, the Sarus Crane, may be up to 6 feet tall!
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3-B. 3 feet
Correct!The Demoiselle is the smallest species of crane and averages between 2 ? and 3 feet tall.
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3-C. 4- 6 inches
Correct!When crane chicks hatch, they are usually between 4 and 6 inches tall.However, the young cranes grow very quickly in the first few weeks of their lives and can grow up to an inch a day during this time!
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2-A. Plants
Correct!Cranes spend a lot of time digging plant roots and tubers out of the mucky bottoms of wetlands to eat – this is why their bills are so long!They also like to eat plant seeds and berries, such as cranberries.
Hover button: Tubers are the starchy swellings found on the roots of certain plants.Potatoes are an example of one type of tuber.
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2-B. Animals
Correct!Cranes like to feed on many small animals, such as frogs, toads, insects, snails, fish, crayfish, and mice.
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2-C. Crane Chow
Correct!At the International Crane Foundation (ICF), cranes eat “crane chow” a special pellet food made of ground corn and other grains, fish meal, and soybeans.At ICF, all of the different types of cranes eat the same pellet food, although very young chicks are given a smaller pellet that is higher in certain nutrients and is easier for them to eat.
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1-A.Rain Forests
Although rain forests provide homes for many different types of plants and animals, cranes do not live in these areas.Cranes prefer to live in more open areas, where they can easily see predators and fly away quickly if needed.
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1-B. Wetlands
Correct!Wetlands are very important habitats, or homes, where cranes live.Cranes find much of their food, build their nests, and even sleep at night in wetlands.
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1-C. Grasslands
Correct!Grasslands are very important habitats, or homes, where cranes live.Cranes find many good things to eat in grasslands, and some types of cranes, such as the Blue Crane and Demoiselle Crane, even build their nests in open grasslands.
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