Soul Mates for Life

In our recent trip to Bharatpur (Rajasthan, India), we got a chance to look at these beautiful birds by the name 'Sarus Cranes'. They are large non-migratory birds. They are the tallest of the flying birds (remember ostriches don't fly). They can go up to a height of 5.9 feet, that would mean taller than me. The ones we spotted were not as tall as me but certainly looked like 4 feet and that makes for quite a presence for a bird. They are pretty to look at with a long grey colored body contrasted with a red head and upper neck. They have loud trumpeting calls which almost sound like announcements 'I'm here. Come and take a look'. The most amazing fact about them is that they form long-lasting pair-bonds. They mate for life.  It is believed that if one of them dies, the other one loses interest in life and mourns the loss so much that it starves itself to death.In India, they are considered symbols of marital fidelity. Apparently in parts of Gujarat, it is a custom to take newly wed couple to see a pair of Sarus cranes.

We mate for life

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