Horapollo , the grammarian of Alexandria, about AD 400, tells us that the crane was the symbol of a star-observer in Egypt, presumably from its high flight. Christians imagined this to be 'the Stork in the Heaven' and combined it with Phoenix in a representation of Aaron the High Priest. When flying, cranes form a triangle, the old in front and the young protected in the middle. Both parents share incubation duties, exchanging the incubating responsibilities about every two hours in their well constructed large nests. Both parents brood the young birds to protect them from both cold and precipitation.
Cranes are fast runners and fliers, they also swim.
They paint themselves with mud to camouflage themselves, this 'makeup' also indicates that birds are ready to breed. They are notable for their elaborate courtship dances. They use a complex system of threat behaviors allowing rivals to avoid fighting. They have low reproductive rates, but long lives. In the West, the crane is generally regarded as a symbol of clumsiness and stupidity, doubtless from the bird's awkward, one-legged stance.