A rare, endangered East Asian crane species, distinctive for the red patch on its head which is actually bare, brightly-colored skin. This plus the black neck, white streak leading from the red crown partially down the neck, and white body make them easy to identify. This crane is one of the largest crane species.
Overall, they are snow white with black secondary flight feathers (in flight, these are the row of largest feathers present on the "lower arm" of the wing). This can appear like a fluffy black tail when the birds are standing, but the real tail feathers as well as the primary flight feathers are actually white. The bill is olive green to greenish horn, the legs are slate to grayish black.
Males are black on the cheeks, throat, and neck, while females are pearly gray in these spots.
Some artistic renditions may show a black tail or black primary flight feathers if the artist did not reference a photo or accurate illustration of the bird in flight. Regardless, if the crane has a red forehead or a line delineating this marking, it is almost certainly a red-crowned crane.
In Taoism this crane is a symbol of longevity and immortality. It also symbolizes luck and fidelity.
