3 Adult Demoiselle Crane (Dornod Aimag, Mongolia, 13 June 2014).

Smaller, proportionately shorter necked and generally more rakish than Common Crane, adult Demoiselle also has a slighter bill and more slender rear end, giving it a more elegant gait on the ground. The black on the neck extends down to the breast in the form of long, ‘hanging’ feathers, there is no red skin on the crown, and the white behind the eye is a long plume rather than a stripe. The elongated tertials are grey and much neater than those of Common Crane. Demoiselle is about 20% smaller than its more widespread congener, but – as in Whooper and Bewick’s Swans – the size difference is much less obvious on birds in flight.