The Gruiformes are largely ancient type of birds and relatively small in number currently although one of the most diverse of all water feeding or ground feeding birds. The Gruiformes species are about 190 distributed around 12 families and largely 61 genera. Within these families, Rails or Rallidae has almost two thirds of these species order, about 120. On the other remainder 11 families, the Bustards have about 22 species while the Cranes and Buttonquails have around 15 species divided among them. The remainder eight families have about two species.

Gruiformes in Civilizations

The Gruiformes are quite amazing types of birds, just as Rails, Moorhens and Coots, and common along ponds and streams all over the seven continents. Just like Cranes they have been able to inspire some great works of conservation in the history of conservation and were an inspiration for thinkers and poets all over the history of man. Most of the species are very beautiful while all are equally fascinating.

As much as the species might be few in number, the order does have a good count of birds that are exceptional, including African Kori Bustard, the world’s heaviest recorded bird that can fly. In fact, there has been a recorded specimen of some weighing about 19kg. Another interesting fact is the Grus antigone Sarus Crane, the world’s most tallest bird that flies. In addition, this order has oldest bird species known to human beings, the Sandhill Crane (Grus Canadensis). The bird has skeletons discovered in rocks about 10 million years in age.

Endangered Species

The huge part of these bird species except the ones found along the poles feed and live on or around water bodies. This has been in direct contact with the obsession of man in destroying habitats where these species live, where a quarter of the all these birds within this order have been listed as endangered. Some of these birds might never be seen again after being destroyed, although this number does not include the Gallirallus owstoni or the Guam rail, which is an extinct bad found in the wild as much as it is still in existence after being captured.

Gruiformes in History

The Gruiformes are unusually distributed species within the 12 families showing the ancient status in the evolution of the order that is placed about 70 million years ago. Some extinct modern Gruids relatives include the Diatrymas and Phorohacos, where the Diatrymas used to be a family composed of about 4 species of flightless giant birds from the depths of North America and used to be about 2 meters in height as well as possessing very solid and heavy bodies with bills the same as parrots’.

In all these Gruiformes, scientists are easily undecided whether they were meat or plant eaters. Also, the Phorohacos or terror birds existed in South America and had bills like Eagles. These birds were also flightless and believed to have had the ability to run at about 70 kilometers per hour. There is also the suggestion that these birds were likely to be carrion eaters.