The animal on the cover of C++ Software Development is is the common crane (Grus grus, or “crane crane”). Also known as the Eurasian crane, the common crane is most often found throughout the Paleartic region, which spans northern Europe, northern Asia, and North Africa, though isolated groups have been seen as far east as Ireland and as far west as Japan. The largest nesting populations of common cranes can be found each year in Russia and Scandinavia.
A large, stately bird, the common crane is of medium size among crane species, with a body length of 39–51 inches and a wingspan of 71–94 inches, and weighing 10–12 pounds on average. It has a slate-gray body with a black face, a black-and-white neck, and a red crown. Every two years or so, this migratory bird molts its feathers entirely, remaining flightless for six weeks while new feathers grow in. During migration, flocks of four hundred individuals or more may travel together. These flocks have been observed flying at altitudes of up to 33,000 feet, the second highest of any bird species.
Like all cranes, the common crane is omnivorous, eating plant matter as well as insects, amphibians, rodents, and other small animals. The cranes typically forage in small groups on land or standing in shallow water, probing with their bills for food.
Cranes have featured in human art and iconography since ancient times, appearing in Aesop’s Fables, inspiring traditional dances such as one performed in Korea since 646 CE, and having association with gods in ancient South Arabia and Greece, to share just a few examples. Several styles of martial art, particularly kung fu, have taken inspiration from the graceful movements of the crane, as popularized in the 1984 hit film The Karate Kid.
With a global population of around six hundred thousand as of 2014, the common crane has been classified by the IUCN as being of least concern, making it one of only four species of crane not considered threatened or dependent on conservation. Many of the animals on O’Reilly covers are endangered; all of them are important to the world.
The cover illustration is by Karen Montgomery, based on an antique line engraving from British Birds. The cover fonts are Gilroy Semibold and Guardian Sans. The text font is Adobe Minion Pro; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is Dalton Maag’s Ubuntu Mono.