Brolga

Brolgas are tall birds that live in wetlands.

They have grey feathers and a patch of red skin on their heads.

They eat grass, roots, frogs and small lizards.

A male and female dance together.

There are two kinds of crane in Australia: the brolga and the sarus.

Appearance
The female brolga grows to be 95-100 cm tall, and the male 110-125 cm tall. Brolgas have long grey legs. They are pale grey with a patch of red skin on the back of their heads, running from eye to eye. When they spread their wings, the span is 2 metres from tip to tip.

Where it is found
The brolga is found in the northern and eastern parts of Australia, in wetlands. They live in large groups called flocks, sometimes as large as 1000 birds. Each family in the flock is led by a male.

Diet
At times when their habitat dries out, the birds fly very far to find food. Brolgas eat grass, roots, insects, frogs and small reptiles.

Life Cycle
The brolgas are most famous for their mating dance. The breeding season is in November or December. A pair of brolgas spread their wings and leap and dance gracefully before mating. Brolgas stay with the same partner for life.

After mating, the female brolga lays 2 eggs in a nest. The nest is big. It is a one and a half metre platform of grass and reeds. Both parents share the task of sitting on the eggs, which hatch after about 30 days. The young stay with their parents for about a year.

The Legend of the Brolga
An Aboriginal legend tells of a beautiful young woman who always danced instead of working. She was turned into a tall, slender bird. Her name was Bralgah. The complicated dance of the brolga is imitated by the Aborigines in some of their dances.

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Updated July 2006