BLACK AFRICAN CROWNED CRANE
Balearica pavonia

They're all over: Cranes are widely distributed in Africa.

But where, exactly? On the savannah.

What's for dinner? Invertebrates, grain and small vertebrates.

Who does your feathers? A tall bird weighing three to four kilograms (10 pounds) and with an average wingspan of six feet. They have decorative fine headdress with a black velvet crown and a fan of straw-colored, bristle-like feathers on the nape.

They run before they walk: Cranes pair for life and defend a territory of approximately one square kilometer. They lay two to three eggs in nests of tramped-down rushes and reeds. The downy young run as soon as they hatch and both parents care for the young. The young get adult plumage in about 12 months.

Party animals, er, birds: Outside of the breeding season, these cranes are highly gregarious, sometimes living in flocks of hundreds of birds. However, the normal flock size is 20. Pairs of cranes perform ritual dances, which is probably not a courtship ritual because juveniles often perform the same dance. These birds have a loud, melodious, plaintive cry. The crowned crane is the national emblem of Uganda.

Status: Declining.

Australasia | Conservation Corner | Madagascar |
Marco Polo Trail | North America | Plains of Africa | Tropical America