In his book, The Birds of Heaven, Peter Matthiessen recounts his world-wide journeys studying, observing, and protecting cranes. Through acute, focused observation, he offers a rare glimpse into the world of this enchanting group of birds.

Cranes belong to the Order Gruiformes, an old and wide-ranging group of birds that includes the following families¹:

• Rallidea (rails and coots)
• Heliornithidea (sungrebes)
• Rhynochetidea (Kagu)
• Eurypygidea (sunbittern)
• Mesoenatidea (Roatelos)
• Turnicidea (buttonquail)
• Gruidea (cranes)
• Aramidea (limpkin)
• Psophiidea (trumpeters)
• Cariamidea (seriemas)
• Otididea (bustards)

The following characteristics are common to birds belonging to the Order Gruiformes:

• no crop
• a few common (shared) skeletal and palatal features

Few other features are shared by all members of the group. Most gruiform birds are shy species, about which scientists know little. Cranes are perhaps the best-known member of the group due to the devoted protection some species are receiving in order to thwart their extinction. For example, Operation Migration, a project aimed at restoring migration routes of rare and endangered birds, has received much media attention for their superb efforts and achievements in the area of aircraft-assisted migration.

¹ Classification from Ornithology, FB Gill. WH Freeman and Company, New York. 1990.