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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
East
African crowned crane, gray-crowned crane |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Gruiformes |
| FAMILY: |
Gruidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Balearica
regulorum gibbericeps |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
The
East African crowned crane is slate gray in color
with an elongated neck and body. The primary and
secondary feathers are dark gray to black with chestnut
markings. The cheek patches are bare with white
on the bottom and a small red patch on top. A large
straw-yellow crown covers head. |
| MALE |
The
male is slightly taller than the female |
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| SIZE: |
Approximately
91-120 cm tall (36-48 in.) |
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| WEIGHT: |
Approximately
3-4 kg (6.6-8.8 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Omnivorous; feeds on plants, worms, insects, lizards,
and small mammals |
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| INCUBATION: |
30 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
2-3
eggs |
| FLEDGING
DURATION |
50-90
days |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
Approximately
3 years; full adult eye color and face and neck
coloration are not reached until 20-24 months old |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Approximately
22 years; considerably longer in managed situations |
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| RANGE: |
Found
in eastern sub-Saharan Africa and south to South
Africa |
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| HABITAT: |
Inhabits
wet and dry open habitats, but prefer grasslands
near water |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Estimated
at less than 100,000 |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Appendix
II |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Crowned
cranes are usually found in pairs, but have been
seen singularly and in small flocks (3-20 individuals).
There have been only a few observations ofgroups
of 51-150 individuals. |
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| 2. |
A
successful pair of mated crowned cranes will maintain
their family structure for as long as 9-10 months.
After which, the young birds tend to join together
in flocks, spending much of their time feeding in
fields. |
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| 3. |
Crowned
cranes are the only cranes that roost in trees.
All of their chicks hatch at the same time as well,
which is uncommon among cranes. |
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| 4. |
Courtship
is still poorly understood, however, scientists
believe it is all in the mating dance between the
male and female. The dance consists of bobbing,
flapping wings, and swinging circles around each
other. |
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| 5. |
The
male is the principle defender of the pair, calling
a loud warning to other cranes in his territory. |
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While
East African crowned cranes are not currently
listed as a protected species, its populations
are still vulnerable. The numbers and range of
these birds have been reduced significantly over
the last two decades. The principle threat these
cranes face is the loss, transformation, and degradation
of its habitat. Inefficient law enforcement and
lack of long-term population monitoring leave
the species in jeopardy.
Stronger
national wetland protection policies and large-scale
land development assessment would help the cranes
case. Most of all, mass education about the cranes
plight would provide the greatest benefit.
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|
|
| Ellis,
D. H., Gee, G. F., and C. Mirande. Cranes: Their
Biology, Husbandry, and Conservation. Dept.
Of Int., Nat'l Bio. Serv., Washington, D.C. 1996. |
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|
Johnsgard,
P. A. Cranes of the World. Indiana University
Press, Bloomington. 1983.
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| Perrins,
C.M. and A. Middleton. The Illustrated Encyclopedia
of Birds. New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1990. |
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| Williams,
J. G. A Field Guide to the Birds of East and
Central Africa. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.
1963. |
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| International
Crane Foundation: http://www.savingcranes.org/species/gr-crwnd.asp |
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