Do animals ever remind you of people? Sarus cranes can be quite entertaining. If you have ever seen high school boys and girls trying to impress each other, this might sound familiar:

When it is time for a male and female crane to meet, things can get goofy. The pair might start out with some strutting, then bowing, flapping, and fluffing. They will throw their heads back and sing together. When they tire of that, the two will race around, dancing and jumping straight up into the air. They might even throw sticks and leaves.

When their wacky courtship is done, crane couples settle down. They stay together for life and share the work of nest-building, egg-sitting, feeding, protecting, and raising their young. Come to think of it, animals really do remind us of people—in some good ways!

• Sarus cranes are the world’s tallest flying bird at 6 feet. They can weigh up to 18 pounds and their wingspan can be up to 8 feet.

• They are strong fliers. But they do not migrate to other locations at the change of seasons.

• Males and females have the same coloring.

• They live to about 20 years in the wild and have lived up to 42 years in captivity.

• Sarus cranes have few natural predators as adults. But eggs are often taken by wild dogs or nest-robbers like crows.

• They are omnivores—and resourceful. Sarus cranes forage to find food. That can include water plants, roots, seeds, grains like rice, amphibians like frogs or lizards, insects like grasshoppers, and all sorts of small pond creatures.

• Their feet are not webbed. This allows wading easily through shallow water and walking in mud.

• About 15,000-20,000 exist in the wild. The sarus crane is now considered a “vulnerable” species, but not “endangered.”

• They build ground nests in wetlands and lay one or two eggs.

• Both parents incubate the eggs to keep them warm until chicks hatch in about a month.