The Gruiformes is an order of birds that consist of about 11 families, at least 55 genera, and over 110 species. Of these families are cranes, coots, and rails. Gruiformes are omnivorous, which means they eat both plants and animals, but usually they consume more plants than they do animals. .
A gruiformes diet consist many things from animals to plants. Gruiformes that inhabit the grasslands eat things such as seeds, leaves, nuts, berries, fruits, waste grains, worms, snails, other insects, snakes, lizards, rodents and other small mammals, and even small birds. Most Wetland inhabiting Gruiformes eat roots, bulbs, tubers, sprouts, stems, and seeds of underwater plants, and mollusks, aquatic insects, crustaceans, fish, and frogs.
The coots are more duck-like than other gruiformes except for their small heads and short bills. They are the more swimming type and can dabble or dive. Spend most of their time on water but can also be found near shores or lawns.
Rails are a very secretive type of bird who spends the majority of their time inhabiting marsh areas. Rails resemble hen a lot except for their somewhat long and pointy beak. They are more often seen then heard because of their distinctive calls. There are 132 species known to it worldwide. .
Cranes prefer to live in mostly open environments with space and a wide range of visibility. They usually nest in wetlands and live in grasslands. Cranes are widely distributed throughout the world. From North America to Australian tropics the cranes are spread, but Asia has the most specie density with seven. .
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