The demoiselle
crane (Grus virgo) is a species of crane found in central Eurasia, ranging
from the Black Sea to Mongolia and North Eastern China. There is also a small
breeding population in Turkey. These cranes are migratory birds. Birds from
western Eurasia will spend the winter in Africa whilst the birds from Asia, Mongolia and China will spend the winter in
the subcontinent. The bird is symbolically significant in the Culture of Pakistan, where
it is known as Koonj.
The demoiselle is
85–100 cm (33.5–39.5 in) long, 76 cm (30 in) tall and has a
155–180 cm (61–71 in) wingspan. It weighs 2–3 kg
(4.4–6.6 lb). It is the smallest species of crane. The demoiselle crane is slightly smaller
than the common crane but has similar plumage.
It has a long white neck stripe and the black on the foreneck extends down over
the chest in a plume.
It has
a loud trumpeting call,
higher-pitched than the common crane. Like other cranes it has a dancing
display, more balletic than the common crane, with less leaping.
The flying formation of
the koonj during
migrations also inspired infantry formations in ancient India. TheMahabharata epic describes both warring sides adopting the koonj formation
on the second day of theKurukshetra War.
[info:wikipedia]
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