Grus grus

Also known as Eurasian Crane, Eurasian Common Crane

Common cranes fill northern wetlands with trumpet-like bugling calls that carry for miles across open marshland. During spring, breeding pairs perform elaborate courtship dances featuring synchronized leaps, bows, and wing spreads that reinforce lifelong pair bonds. These social birds travel thousands of kilometers each autumn in majestic V-formations to winter in southern Europe and northern Africa.