Cranes

Cranes are a family, the Gruidae, of large, long-legged, and long-

necked birds in the group Gruiformes. The 15 species of cranes
are placed in three genera, Antigone, Balearica, and Grus. Unlike
the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks
outstretched, not pulled back. Cranes live on most continents,
with the exception of Antarctica and South America.
They are opportunistic feeders that change their diets according
to the season and their own nutrient requirements.[citation needed] They
eat a range of items from small rodents, eggs of
birds, fish, amphibians, and insects to grain and berries.
Cranes construct platform nests in shallow water, and typically lay
two eggs at a time. Both parents help to rear the young, which
remain with them until the next breeding season.[1]
Some species and populations of cranes migrate over long
distances; others do not migrate at all.[2] Cranes are solitary during
the breeding season, occurring in pairs, but during the
nonbreeding season, most species are gregarious, forming large
flocks where their numbers are sufficient.
Most species of cranes have been affected by human activities
and are at the least classified as threatened, if not critically
endangered.[3] The plight of the whooping cranes of North America
inspired some of the first US legislation to protect endangered
species.