Sicilian crane (SciiFii)

A Sicilian crane (Grus melitensis) is a species of crane that originally lived in what is now Sicily during the Pleistocene and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and (re)introduced throughout the Mediterranean islands, including Sicily, to help boost biodiversity. The Scicilian crane is a very large crane species, growing to be about as large as the sarus crane (Antigone antigone), making it one of, if not, the largest living crane and reaches heights of 150cm. Despite its large size, it is still capable of flight and has migratory tendencies like common cranes (Grus grus). The Sicilian crane is omnivorous, as are all cranes, and it largely eats plant matter, including roots, rhizomes, tubers, stems, leaves, fruits and seeds. They also commonly eat, when available, pond-weeds, heath berries, peas, potatoes, olives, acorns, cedarnuts and pods of peanuts. Animal foods become more important during the summer breeding season and may be the primary food source at that time of year, especially while regurgitating to young. Their animal foods are insects, especially dragonflies, and also snails, earthworms, crabs, spiders, millipedes, woodlice, amphibians, rodents, and small birds. The Sicilian crane is a fairly social bird while not breeding. Flocks of up to 400 birds may be seen flying together during migration. Staging sites, where migrating birds gather to rest and feed in the middle of their migration, may witness thousands of cranes gathering at once. However, the flocks of the species are not stable social units but rather groups that ensure greater safety in numbers and collectively draw each other's attention to ideal foraging and roosting sites. The conservation status of the Sicilian crane is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the Sicilian crane's wide range and its tolerance to most of the human activities, including being able to adapt to life in the cities and suburbs.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii