Editing Brolga (section)

==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:Brolga head.jpg|thumb|right|Close up of the head]]

Brolgas are widespread and often abundant in north and north-east Australia, especially north-east Queensland, and are common as far south as Victoria. They are also found in southern New Guinea and as rare vagrants in [[New Zealand]] and the northern part of Western Australia. The population in northern Australia is estimated at between 20,000 and 100,000 birds and in southern Australia, 1,000 birds. The number of individuals in New Guinea is unknown.<ref name=USGS/> Until 1961, brolgas were thought to be the only species of crane in Australia, until the sarus crane was also located in Queensland.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gill|first=H.B.|date=1969|title=First record of the Sarus Crane in Queensland|journal=The Emu|volume=69|pages=49–52|doi=10.1071/MU969047d}}</ref>

Brolga movements in Australia are poorly understood, though seasonal flocks are observed in eastern Queensland in nonbreeding areas regularly, and a few coastal populations are suspected to move up to {{convert|500|km|abbr=on}} inland.<ref name=USGS>{{cite web |url=http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/cranes/grusrubi.htm |title=The Cranes: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan |work=Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan |publisher=Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center |access-date=2013-03-08}}</ref> Little is known of the movements and habitats of the New Guinea populations.<ref name=USGS/>

Further south, in Victoria and New South Wales, rainfall is spread more evenly throughout the year and the driest season lasts from December to May. At this time, southern populations congregate in inland flocking areas, which include upland marshes, the edges of [[reservoir]]s and [[lake]]s, pastures, and agricultural land. When rain arrives in June and July, they disperse to the coastal freshwater marshes, shallow lakes, wet meadows, and other wetlands where they breed.<ref name=USGS/> In south-west Victoria, breeding sites during and immediately after spring are freshwater wetlands, while freshwater, brackish and saline wetland sites are used for flocking during the autumn.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Sheldon|first=Rebecca A.|date=2005|title=Breeding and flocking: comparison of seasonal wetland habitat use by the Brolga Grus rubicunda in south-western Victoria|url=http://www.birdlife.org.au/afo/index.php/afo/article/view/40|journal=Australian Field Ornithology|volume=22|pages=5–11}}</ref>

Queensland has the greatest numbers of brolgas, and sometimes flocks of over 1,000 individuals are seen.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wiresnr.org/Brolga-2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729094626/http://www.wiresnr.org/Brolga-2.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 29, 2010 |title=Brolga| author=Davis, Danielle |work=WIRES: Northern Rivers |date=2014-01-19 |access-date=2014-01-19}}</ref> The bird is the official bird emblem for the state and also appears on its coat of arms.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.about-australia.com/facts/queensland-flags-emblems/ |title=Queensland flags and emblems |work=About Australia |access-date=2013-03-11}}</ref> Breeding pairs and flocks are distributed across several floodplains along the Gulf of Carpentaria.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Sundar|first1=K.S. Gopi|last2=Grant|first2=John D.A.|last3=Veltheim|first3=Inka|last4=Kittur|first4=Swati|last5=Brandis|first5=Kate|last6=McCarthy|first6=Michael A.|last7=Scambler|first7=Elinor|title=Sympatric cranes in northern Australia: abundance, breeding success, habitat preference and diet|journal=Emu |volume=119|pages=79–89|doi=10.1080/01584197.2018.1537673|year=2019|issue=1 |bibcode=2019EmuAO.119...79S |s2cid=133977233 }}</ref> Brolgas here preferentially use two grassland-dominated regional ecosystems (2.3.1 and 2.3.4), though over 30% of the cranes share four additional ''Eucalyptus''-dominated woodland regional ecosystems with sarus cranes. Brolga numbers were highest in floodplains where grassland habitats dominated, and the largest flocks were also found in grassland habitats.<ref name=":0" />