Siberian crane
Amazing fact
Siberian crane chicks have blue eyes when they hatch.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Siberian crane chicks have blue eyes when they hatch.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Siberian crane
- Scientific name
- Grus leucogeranus
- Japanese name
- ソデグロヅル
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Gruidae
- Genus
- Grus
Where the name “Siberian crane” comes from
The Japanese name Sodeguro-zuru comes from the black tips of its wings.
多摩動物公園It raises its young in wetlands of the Russian Arctic and flies to a lake in southern China for the winter.
Its body is white, and its legs and bill are red. From the base of the bill to behind the eyes there are no feathers, so dark red skin shows.
It eats grass roots, shoots and seeds, as well as insects and fish. It eats more animals in the breeding season and more plants while migrating and in winter.
How the Siberian crane lives
In early morning and afternoon, they use serrated bills to pull roots and tubers from wetland ponds. During the breeding season, they preen and tend their young during the day. At night, they rest with their heads tucked under their shoulders.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebBasic data
- Size
- Total length: 140 cmWingspan: 210–230 cm
- Weight
- 4.9–8.6 kg
- Diet
- Grass roots, rhizomes, seeds, shoots, insects, fish, and rodents
- Range
- Russian Arctic and Poyang Lake in southern China
Where the Siberian crane has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ソデグロヅル
- 简体中文
- 白鹤
- 繁體中文
- 白鶴
- 한국어
- 시베리아흰두루미
- Español
- Grulla siberiana
- Français
- Grue de Sibérie
- Deutsch
- Schneekranich
- Português (Brasil)
- Grou-siberiano
- Italiano
- Gru siberiana
- Русский
- Стерх
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 多摩動物公園 — ソデグロヅルChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Grus leucogeranusChecked: 2026-11-06
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Siberian crane, look for this
- You may see a dance that includes leaping and bowing.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Siberian crane
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Gruidae
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