Skip to content
Bioestrecho
Menu

Your portal

My list
Sign in

Species › Birds

Common Crane

Grus grus

Order
Gruiformes
Family
Gruidae
Presence in the Strait
Seasonal
Abundance
common
Protection in Spain
Special protection (List)
In Spanish
Grulla común

Photograph: מינוזיג - MinoZig, CC BY-SA, vía iNaturalist

Length
114–130 cm
Wingspan
200–230 cm
Weight
5,250–6,000 g
0100200LENGTH114–130 cmWINGSPAN200–230 cmcentimetres

Presence in the Strait

Common winter visitor localised in La Janda (750-1,300 birds), from where the last breeding pair disappeared in 1954 due to the drying-out of the marshes. Towards the end of the 19th Century, they were disappearing (<30 pairs) due to museum egg collectors.

Identification

Unmistakable. Walks with slow, majestic steps. Flies with neck extended. Legs protrude considerably and flocks fly in “V” formations. Far-reaching call consists of rough nasal trumpeting.

Movements

The first birds arrive towards the start of October. Last have been seen towards the end of April. Peaks in 1st hf. March and 1st hf. October. Turnicidae Torillo Andaluz Gruidae juv. ad. Grulla Común ad.

Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 8 September 2026.

Gallery

Photographs from iNaturalist observations with the licence checked file by file. Those marked “Strait” were taken within the area; place and date are those of each observation.