The common crane (Grus grus) is a majestic long legged bird with a thin neck. It can reach 1.2 metres in height and has an open wingspan of over 2 metres. Its beak is long and it uses it to dig in the soil in search of seeds, acorns and insects.

They are migratory birds, which means that their presence in large numbers in the Gallocanta lagoon depends on the time of year.
Generally speaking, the mass arrival of birds takes place in autumn from mid October to early November, when cranes arrive from the countries of northern Europe looking for warmer lands.

The same event, but this time in the opposite direction, takes place from mid February to mid March, when the cranes flock to the Lagoon (in the early afternoon) before continuing their journey north (they depart from mid morning until midday).

During the month of December and right up to mid February (winter season), the crane population remains constant, given that the lagoon harbours the largest crane population on the Iberian Peninsula during the winter.