The demoiselle crane ( Anthropoides virgo ) is a gruiform bird species in the family Gruidae. Its range covers central Asia (breeding area), sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia (wintering areas).
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Gruiformes |
| Family | Gruidae |
| Genus | Anthropoides |
| Species | Anthropoides virgo |
The demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo) is a gruiform bird species in the family Gruidae. Its range covers central Asia (breeding area), sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia (wintering areas). There are also small populations in Cyprus and Turkey. In Spain it nested until the early twentieth century in parts of the west and south of the Iberian Peninsula.
It is currently distributed from southern Siberia to the Nile valley and India, and from the Black Sea to China. However, until the early twentieth century there were breeding populations both on the Iberian Peninsula and in the Atlas Mountains
It feeds mainly on insects, seeds, roots, other plant matter and small animals.
It breeds in spring, laying eggs from April to late May. The nest is a mound of dry sedges and grasses in open wetlands. Normally two eggs.
The IUCN classes the demoiselle crane as a species of Least Concern. The population is estimated at between 200,000 and 240,000 individuals. It is vulnerable to poaching, as well as to habitat degradation.
We take part in the breeding programme: EEP (since 2025)
Source: Wikimedia Commons — AnthropoidesVirgoIUCNver2019 1.png
