The Gruiformes order is one of the first to appear in the history of birds, 60 million years ago, at the beginning of the Tertiary era. It is divided into six families, including the Gruidae, which includes the fifteen species of cranes. Taller than the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) and the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), the Common Crane (Grus grus) reaches the height of a ten-year-old child, about 1.20 m. Its wingspan is between 1.80 and 2.30 m depending on its age. Males and females are almost identical. The dominant colour of the species is ash-grey, with brown shading on the back.