A WELSH-BORN common crane has taken to the skies of Wales for the first time in around 400 years.

Two of the rare birds, named Lofty and Gibble, nested on the Gwent Levels this year, successfully reared a single chick, called Garan (the Welsh word for crane), which flew for the first time in August.

The adult birds originate from the Great Crane Project reintroduction scheme which released 93 hand-reared cranes between 2010 and 2014 on the Somerset Levels and Moors area on the RSPB West Sedgemoor Reserve in Somerset.

Standing at a height of 4ft, the grey bird has a long neck and has a call that can be heard at a distance of over three miles.

Damon Bridge, RSPB manager of the Great Crane Project, said: “These wonderful birds died out across the UK sometime in the 1600s, having been a favourite of the medieval dinner table. Seeing them spread back into their former haunts highlights the importance of protecting our wetlands.”

Cranes need quiet, secluded, wet areas to breed, and an area of the Gwent Levels provided the right mix of a secluded nest site and undisturbed, food-rich habitat for the cranes.

Richard Archer, RSPB conservation officer for the Somerset Levels and the Severn Estuary, said: “Although most of the released birds have now reached breeding age, this Welsh pair is one of only three that have successfully reared young this year, so they are really crucial to the project’s long term success. Cranes could do well on parts of the Gwent Levels if the habitat can be restored to its former glory”.