Crane Red Crowned basic information

Most Red Crown Cranes are about 56 inches (140 centimeters) tall by the time they are mature. They weigh around 30 pounds (7 to 14 kilograms) and have wingspans of about 96 inches (240 centimeters). Their legs and bills are quite long. Four toes are present on each leg; three used for walking and one vestigial toe that does not reach the ground. Red Crown Cranes are predominantly white with a few black markings, mainly black feathers that are secondary plumage. These secondary feathers grow in a curling pattern, forming a lovely fluffy bustle on the Red Crown Crane. The necks are black with white napes. The bare crown of their heads is red in color, and when the crane becomes excited, this patch becomes bright red. Juvenile Red Crown Cranes are white, and their primary flight feathers have black edging. The parts of their bodies that will be black at maturity are usually grayish or sooty black.