Ah, the timeless debate of crane vs. heron. Cranes and herons are similar-looking birds that have many of the same mannerisms. These birds are often found in comparable habitats, and it can certainly be difficult to distinguish them if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Complicating matters further is the fact that many people refer to these birds as incorrect names.
Indeed, separating herons from cranes is no easy task. Fortunately, I have created this article to guide you through the process of identifying a bird as either a crane or a heron. By the time you’ve finished this article, you won’t have any trouble differentiating a crane or heron.
Table of Contents
Is A Heron A Crane?
Are herons and cranes the same? At first glance, it would certainly appear that these tall birds are no different from one another. Therefore, is a heron a crane?
No, despite some similarities, herons and cranes belong to two completely different families. So, what’s the difference between a heron and a crane? Let’s discuss some heron vs crane differences and find out!
Crane Vs. Heron Taxonomy
The first step in understanding the differences between a crane vs heron is covering the all-important concept of taxonomy. Look up any of the leading articles that discuss a heron vs crane and read the first few results. You will likely find several articles on the first page of your search engine that refer to these creatures as waterfowl.
While herons and cranes often spend time near water, neither are waterfowl. Waterfowl include ducks, geese, and swans, so neither herons nor cranes would be included in this group.
Instead, herons are considered to be wading birds, while cranes may also be placed into this category depending on who you ask.
Heron family
Herons belong to the Ardeidae family. This family also includes bitterns and egrets.
Currently, 72 species are recognized in the Ardeidae family, but cranes are not among them.
Crane Family
Cranes belong to the Gruidae family. This is a family that includes 15 species. Whereas herons display significant variety in size, all cranes are considered to be tall birds.
Size
I just alluded to the fact that some herons are small while others are large. Indeed, the biggest herons can complicate the identification process. However, herons on the small end of the spectrum would not be mistaken for cranes. Here are some that are around 2 feet tall:
-
- Cattle Egret
-
- Little Blue Heron
-
- Little Egret
-
- Snowy Egret
The tallest heron would be the aptly named Goliath Heron. This bird stands at 5 feet (152 cm) tall.
In comparison, the shortest crane—the Demoiselle Crane–is 3 feet tall. The Sarus Crane is the tallest, standing at a towering 5.75 feet (176 cm) tall.
Therefore, some heron species can be nearly as tall as cranes, so size alone is not an accurate indicator in the debate of crane vs heron.
Diet
Bird diets can occasionally be used to separate similar species. The difference between crane and heron diets is a moderately helpful component of identification when looking at a crane or heron.
They eat many of the same things, as both a heron or crane would enjoy eating fish, amphibians, small mammals, reptiles, and insects. However, the variety stops here in the case of herons. Like storks, they predominantly consume other creatures, but this is not the case for cranes. Although cranes certainly enjoy eating a variety of animals, they are also happy to consume grains, berries, and seeds. This is a significant difference between heron and crane diets.
Both herons and cranes eat a wide variety of different foods.
You will not find a heron eating grains. If you see a bird that appears to be feeding on grains in a harvested field, you will know that you’re observing a crane.
Behavior
Both herons and cranes are sociable birds that seemingly enjoy spending time with others within their family. Cranes are often found in groups during the nonbreeding season, but they do not enjoy sharing their territory with others during the breeding season.
Herons, on the other hand, commonly breed in large breeding colonies known as rookeries during the breeding season. They are very tolerant of their counterparts, as nests are often built with minimal fuss made. Therefore, this aspect of their behavior can be an important identification factor in the crane vs heron debate.
Cranes are frequently found in pairs during the breeding season unless one of the parents is incubating an egg. They remain in their family units for much of the year until it comes time to migrate during the fall. At this point, crane family units may merge with other groups. Species like Sandhill Cranes may be found in groups that include more than 50,000 during winter or migration.
Herons are usually solitary away from their rookery. Foraging is an individual endeavor for them, as a heron’s style of hunting is best suited for a single bird.
Cranes tend to be much more wary around humans than do herons. A crane will rarely allow a human to approach closely, while herons are typically more tolerant of human presence. This may simply be because heron species are often better equipped to live near humans compared to cranes.
Breeding
Crane Mating
A crane typically reaches sexual maturity by the time it is two to three years old. At this point, they seek out a partner. Cranes are known to be monogamous by nature, and they commonly keep the same mate for the duration of their lifetime.
However, cranes do not keep the same mate because of any loyalty that they feel towards their partner. Instead, they are interested in maintaining a relationship with an individual that allows them to successfully raise young. If a crane pair fails to raise young after several attempts, the pair almost always splits up.
Heron Mating
It does not take as long for herons to reach sexual maturity. Many reach this point in their lives in two years or less.
Herons differ from cranes in that they tend to choose new partners every year. This may have to do with their comparatively shorter lifespans.
Habitat
One of the reasons people get confused about cranes and herons has to do with the fact that they are often found in the same habitats. For instance, a crane or heron may be observed in marshes and other shallow wetlands, as these locations are ideal places for them to raise their young. Therefore, habitat is not the best way to tell the difference between crane and heron species.
Although cranes are commonly found in aquatic habitats, they may also be found foraging in fallow fields or pastures. Conversely, herons are rarely found away from water. Therefore, if you see a tall bird in a pasture or field, you can be reasonably confident that the bird is a crane.
If you observe a tall bird roosting on a branch, you may wonder if it’s a heron or crane. Well, know that herons are commonly found roosting or foraging on branches, but seeing a crane perched on a branch would be very unusual. Cranes conduct all of their daily activities on the ground, so a tall bird perched on a branch would suggest that the bird is likely a heron.
Distribution
Cranes and herons overlap throughout much of their distribution. Neither are found on the continent of Antarctica. However, cranes are also absent from South America, whereas herons are common on this continent.
Otherwise, these animals overlap in their global distribution, meaning this should not be much of a consideration for distinguishing between these two birds.
Similar Species Comparisons
People frequently get confused between common cranes and herons. In this section, I will discuss the differences between specific species. Let’s take a look:
Sandhill Crane Vs. Blue Heron
North America is home to two crane species: the Whooping Crane and the Sandhill Crane. Of those two, the Sandhill Crane is far more common. Meanwhile, an assortment of herons can be found in North America. The most common heron in the United States and Canada is the Great Blue Heron – a bird that people often call the “blue heron”.
Some are curious to know the difference between a blue heron vs. Sandhill Crane, as these two are commonly confused. Fortunately, the differences between these two birds are apparent, making identification easy if you know what to look for.
Great Blue Herons stand just shy of four feet tall, while many Sandhills reach this height. Sandhill Cranes have red caps and bodies that are gray or rust-colored—depending on the amount of mud that has stained their feathers. Great Blue Herons have blue-gray bodies with pale undersides speckled with black. Their crowns are white and they have a black stripe on the back of their heads.
Anyone who views them next to each other will realize that they look nothing alike. However, because they are tall wading birds that are frequently found in similar habitats, this causes confusion in the heron or crane debate.
If you remember the differences between herons and cranes discussed in this article, then distinguishing between blue herons and Sandhill Cranes will be simple. For that matter, distinguishing between any crane vs. blue heron will be an easy task, as the Whooping Crane is not likely to be confused with a blue heron.
Crane Vs. Egret
Whether you want to distinguish between a crane vs. egret or a heron vs. crane vs. egret, keeping in mind the rules that have been discussed in this article is a good place to start. Some may be confused about the differences between herons and egrets. Fortunately, I cover this topic in great detail in this article, so this is a great place to start if you want to know the differences.
Whooping Cranes and egrets may look similar at first glance since both are large, white birds. However, the sheer size of a Whooping Crane—5 feet tall–should be enough to give its identity away.
Knowing that cranes and herons/egrets are different from one another in their appearance, diets, behaviors, and more can help you to make the proper identification.