Black Crowned Crane
Balearica pavonina pavonina
Class
Aves
Order
Gruiformes
Family
Gruidae
Black Crowned Crane
Range
Broadly distrbuted in equatorial West Africa; north of the Congo Basin from Senegal east to Lake Chad, and south to Sierra Leone, Nigera, and Northern Cameroon
Size
Length: 37 - 40 in
Wingspan: 6 - 6.5 ft
Weight: 6.6 - 8.4 lbs
Habitat
Wetland portions of grasslands and open savannahs, flooded lowlands, and wet croplands
Young
Clutch of 3 - 4 eggs
Incubation: About 30 days
Diet
Tips of grasses, seeds, insects and other invertebrates, small vertebrates
IUCN Status
Vulnerable
Crowned cranes are the smallest of the 15 crane species.
They are the only cranes that roost in trees.
Black crowned cranes feed mainly by pecking at the surface and may stamp their feet to scare up invertebrates to eat. They roost in trees, which is unusual for cranes.
They are found in pairs, but can form large flocks. Adult cranes reinforce their pair bond by dancing for and with each other. Dances can involve bows, leaps, runs, and short flights.
Status
The black crowned crane population is facing pressure primarily due to habitat loss and over-collection for the exotic pet trade. Their native wetlands and grasslands in equatorial West Africa have been extensively converted to agricultural land and pasture, a problem compounded by recent decades of devastating drought.