 When first described by the naturalist George Perry in 1810, the brolga was misclassified as a species of "Ardea", the genus that includes the herons and egrets.It is, in fact, a member of the Gruiformes—the order that includes the crakes, rails, and cranes, and a member of the genus "Antigone".Ornithologist John Gould used the name "Grus australasianus" when he wrote about it and noted it to be widespread in the north and east of Australia.