The second highest-flying bird in the world is the Grus grus, which can fly to a height of 10,000 meters.

Grus grus, also known as the lacquer crane, thousand-year-old crane, or Eurasian crane, is a species of the family Gruidae. It has a wide distribution and is primarily found in the Palearctic region.

In terms of size, Grus grus (Eurasian crane) is classified as a medium to large crane species. Their body length typically ranges from 100 to 130 cm, with a wingspan reaching or exceeding 2 meters. These birds stand about 100 to 130 cm tall. The weight of Eurasian cranes varies between 3 to 7 kg, with male birds generally being larger and heavier, weighing between 5.1 and 6.1 kg, while females tend to weigh around 4.5 to 5.9 kg

Their appearance includes eggshell-colored feathers with some spotting. Fledglings have yellowish-brown plumage and red beaks. Sub-adult birds are mostly yellowish-brown with a dark brown crown. They lack the distinct black and white neck stripes and have less prominent red areas on the head. In both sexes, the plumage is the same. Adult Eurasian cranes are primarily light gray in color, with darker feathers on the chest and back.

From the head to the neck, Eurasian cranes are gray-black or black in color. They have a prominent white stripe that starts behind the eyes and runs down the neck. A distinctive small patch of exposed red skin is visible on the crown and top of the head. The beak is typically yellow, while the flight feathers are brown or gray-black, characterized by loosely separated barbules, giving them a somewhat “shaggy” appearance in flight.

When standing, the feathers of the Eurasian crane often hang diagonally, covering the tail feathers, giving it a distinctive appearance similar to that of the red-crowned crane. In flight, they extend their necks forward, a common trait among cranes. Their call is sharp, high-pitched, and trumpet-like, resonating loudly across distances, a key feature of their communication in the wild.

Eurasian cranes typically inhabit open plains, grasslands, swamps, riverbanks, wilderness areas, lakes, and farmland. They favor open lakes and swamp areas rich in waterside vegetation, especially during breeding. They thrive in wetlands like swamps and meadows, particularly near open lakes and reed-filled swamps with abundant aquatic plants. During migration and wintering, these cranes are found near rivers, lakes, reservoirs, or along coastal areas, and they often forage in open farmlands or fallow fields.

Grus grus, or the Eurasian crane, is indeed the most numerous and widely distributed crane species in the world. Its global population exceeds 700,000 individuals, and the population is increasing. This growth is attributed to successful conservation efforts and the crane’s ability to thrive in a wide range of habitats across its extensive distribution range in the Palearctic region.

This species has a wide distribution range and is not close to the fragile and endangered critical value standard for species survival (distribution area or fluctuation range is less than 20,000 square kilometers, habitat quality, population size, distribution area fragmentation), and the population number trend is stable, so it is evaluated as None A species in existential crisis.