GRUIFORMES

GRUIFORMES, an order of birds. There are 13 known families, with 190 species. There are 11 species from crane like, rail and bustard families in the RB. Migratory birds of large (great white crane with body length range of 120–140 cm, and body mass range of 4.9–7.7 kg) and average (bald coots with body length range of 36–38 cm and body mass range of 0.5–1 kg or marsh crake with body length range of 17–19 cm and body mass range of 23–45 g) sizes. The males are bigger. They eat plant food (berries, seeds, bines), invertebrates, small fish, frogs, myomorphic rodents, and insects. They inhabit areas near water reservoirs, on the swamps, floodplain meadows, and fields. They are spread all over the territory of the RB. Bustard, demoiselle crane and little bustards prefer open steppe spaces of the Bashkir South Urals and the Bashkir Trans Urals, they can be found in Abzelilovsky, Baymaksky, Bizhbulyaksky and Khaybullinsky raions. They destroy insect pests. Bald coots are game animals. Bustard, demoiselle crane and Siberian crane are included in The Red List of the RB and The Red List of the RF.