Brolga

The Brolga is Australia's most widespread crane, found across the grasslands, wetlands, and floodplains of the tropical north and parts of the southeast, with an additional population in New Guinea. It is closely related to the Sarus Crane, which it resembles, but can be told apart by details of its bare head skin and legs. The Brolga is especially well known for its elaborate group dancing displays, involving leaping, wing-flapping, and bowing.

• Body feathers are grey overall, similar in general tone to the Sarus Crane and Common Crane.
• Tertial (bustle) feathers are long, drooping, and grey, curling over the tail as in other large cranes.
• The bare red skin band covers the sides and back of the head but leaves a grey-feathered crown cap, unlike the more extensively bare-headed Sarus Crane.
• A loose fold of skin under the chin (the dewlap) is a feature unique to the Brolga among Australasian cranes, though it is not a feather feature itself.
• Distinguish from the Sarus Crane primarily by the grey crown patch (versus mostly bare red head) and by greyish-green rather than pink legs.

Adults are grey overall with a red band of bare skin covering the sides, back, and front of the head, a grey feathered crown cap, and elongated drooping tertial bustle feathers; legs are grey to greenish-grey. Sexes look alike, though males average larger. Juveniles have a feathered, buffy-grey head lacking the bare red skin, which develops as the bird matures over its first year. Molt is not sharply defined given the tropical to temperate range the species occupies.

Brolgas are found across northern and eastern Australia, with an additional population in southern New Guinea, inhabiting wetlands, floodplains, grasslands, and coastal plains. Most populations are resident or make local seasonal movements tied to the wet and dry season cycle rather than undertaking long-distance migration.

This crane forages in wetlands and grasslands for a varied diet including plant tubers, grains, and small invertebrates, often digging with its bill for underground plant parts. It nests on the ground in wetland vegetation, usually laying two eggs. Its call is a loud, far-carrying trumpeting, and Brolgas are especially renowned for elaborate communal dancing displays involving jumping, wing-spreading, and bowing, performed both in courtship and outside the breeding season. Large non-breeding flocks gather at favored wetlands during the dry season.