The Sarus Crane is the world’s tallest flying bird, and surely it does fly! I have been photographing these amazing birds for quite a few years now and in fact, I might have been following the same pair of birds throughout. A couple of years back, I spotted a third member of the family, a chick that was so tiny that it was almost swallowed by the grass and undergrowth. Now it has become almost fully grown!
In the photograph above you can spot the mother and daughter flying together. The juvenile Sarus Crane is hidden by the mother. What appears most remarkable is the fact that Sarus Cranes are metaphors of integrity. Pairs remain faithful to each other and they don’t drift away from each other. Also I have seen how well they take care of their offspring.
Sarus Cranes live close to swamps, marshes and wetlands and they have a varied diet. They feed on small rodents, molluscs, fish and even freshwater snails. They can be found mostly on the ground, but when they have to fly they do that too. It is believed that Sarus Cranes cannot fly for a long period of time and a great height too, probably because of their weight and size, however, I have seen them in sustained flight.
The bird on the right hand side of the photograph is the juvenile Sarus Crane and it is about two years old, almost fully grown. What distinguishes a juvenile from an adult Sarus Crane is the colour of the sides of the head. While the adult sports a somewhat red patch around its head and neck, the juvenile sports a yellow one.
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