What does the Common Crane eat?

The Common Crane's diet shapes where and when you'll find it. Understanding what it eats helps you predict where to look.

Diet overview

Omnivorous, consisting of grains, seeds, roots, leaves, berries, insects, snails, frogs, small reptiles, and rodents, varying seasonally.

How it forages

Forages by walking slowly and probing the ground with its long bill. They graze on cultivated grains (wheat, barley, corn) in agricultural fields, dig for roots and tubers, and catch invertebrates and small vertebrates in wetlands and pastures.

When it feeds

Diurnal, most active during daylight hours for feeding and movement. Roosts communally at night, often in shallow water or on sandbars, for safety.

Explore the Common Crane