A rare North American bird sighting has been reported near here. A rare North American bird sighting has been reported near here. A family of Eurasian cranes, also called common cranes, has been found six miles west of Crane Meadows Nature Center. While Eurasian cranes are one of the most populous in the world, they are rarely found in North America, said Eric Volden, a naturalist at Crane Meadows.
Eurasian cranes are native to northern Asia and Europe.
The Eurasian crane is closely related to the Sandhill crane. They are about the same size and both have gray bodies. The main difference is the Eurasian crane has a black upper neck and head. It also has a dark streak along its side and its underside is dark, almost black. The tail is bushy.