Common Crane

Grus grus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Gruidae — Cranes

Common Crane, Grus grus, breeds across the Palearctic and spends the non-breeding season in north-east Africa and northern Oriental regions. It is a crane in the family Gruidae and is the species most often encountered in Europe, apart from the demoiselle crane and the Siberian crane, which are regular only in the far east of the continent. It is one of four crane species not currently listed as threatened or conservation dependent at species level. Some parts of its range have lost the bird, and a reintroduction programme is continuing in the United Kingdom.

Order
Gruiformes
Family
Gruidae — Cranes
Breeding range
Palearctic: widespread
Nonbreeding range
ne AF and n OR
Common Crane
© Andreas Eichler · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

9 tours in Poland 3, Hungary 2, Israel 1, France 1, Lithuania 1, Finland 1

Early Spring Birding Tour 2027
Early Spring Birding Tour 2027
Poland / Warsaw Group tour 5 days

Five days in Białowieża Forest at peak woodpecker and owl activity, with early migrants, raptors and European Bison....

From EUR 1,260 Next: Apr 1, 2027
Hula Valley Bird Festival 2026: Three-Day Guided Birding
Hula Valley Bird Festival 2026: Three-Day Guided Birding
Israel / Hula Valley Group tour 3 days

Spend 15–17 November 2026 birding the Hula Valley's autumn migration with BirdLife Israel, including guided outings, evening talks and a h...

Next: Nov 15, 2026
Autumn Birding Tour in Hungary
Autumn Birding Tour in Hungary
Hungary / Kecskemet Private tour 5 days

Track autumn migration for five days across Lake Tisza, Kiskunsag and northern mountains, focusing on cranes, geese, raptors and late-season...

From EUR 750 Next: Nov 2, 2026
Tailor-Made Birdwatching in Landes and the French Basque Country
Tailor-Made Birdwatching in Landes and the French Basque Country
France / Ondres Private tour 1 day

A private half-day or full-day birdwatching outing across southwest France, from the Southern Landes into the French Basque Country, adapted...

From EUR 70
3-Day Sobibor Forests Great Grey Owl Birding Tour
3-Day Sobibor Forests Great Grey Owl Birding Tour
Poland / Sobibor 3 days

Three days in Sobibor Landscape Park, exploring peat bogs, wet meadows, pine forest and alder swamp with Great Grey Owl as a carefully searc...

Magic of Migration Lithuania Birding Tour
Magic of Migration Lithuania Birding Tour
Lithuania / Vente Cape Group tour 8 days

An eight-day autumn birding journey along Lithuania’s East Baltic Flyway, from Ventė Cape and the Curonian Spit to crane gatherings and B...

From EUR 1,120
Black Grouse April Birding Tour from Helsinki
Black Grouse April Birding Tour from Helsinki
Finland / Helsinki Private tour 4h

An April-only four-hour private car tour leaving Helsinki before dawn for rural Black Grouse sites and the first movements of spring migrati...

From EUR 250
Kiskunsag National Park Birdwatching Day Trip
Kiskunsag National Park Birdwatching Day Trip
Hungary / Kecskemet Private tour 8h

Spend a private day across Kiskunsag’s puszta, sodic lakes, fishponds and floodplain edges, choosing sites around the season and priority ...

From EUR 100
Autumn Birding Tour 2026
Autumn Birding Tour 2026
Poland / Warsaw Group tour 5 days

Five autumn days in Białowieża and Biebrza for forest birds, migrating raptors, waterfowl and the spectacle of Common Crane roosts....

From EUR 1,190