Blue Crane - Endangered Icon

Cranes are among the most graceful and enchanting of all birds, but also among the most endangered. Fifteen species occur across the world, on all continents except for South America. The North American Whooping Crane was perilously close to extinction in 1941, with just 16 individuals remaining, but concerted and imaginative conservation efforts have brought the population up to around 150 birds.

Of the five African species, the Blue Crane is more or less restricted to South African grasslands, while the Wattled, Grey Crowned and Black Crowned favour marshes and wetlands in numerous countries. The Demoiselle Crane breeds in Central Asia but migrates to the Sahel region of Sudan.

South Africa's National Bird

The magnificent Blue Crane is South Africa's national bird and was once abundant throughout grassland areas across the country. Since 1978, it has suffered a massive population crash - declining by an estimated 90% in the Mpumalanga province and 20% overall - and is now considered a vulnerable species in the region's Red Data Book. It is more or less confined to the borders of South Africa, with some birds straying into the neighbouring territories of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland, and an isolated breeding population at Namibia's Etosha Pan. A combination of grassland habitat loss - primarily through expanding commercial timber plantations - and poisoning (intentional and inadvertent) are the main factors for the declining status of this impressive bird.

Paired for Life

Blue Cranes are summer breeders, laying a clutch of two eggs in a shallow depression, where the incubating bird has an unobstructed view of the surroundings. No actual nest is built. The eggs hatch after 30 to 33 days, and the buffy-headed chick spends 85 days or more being fed and tended to by both parents. Like all members of the crane family, adults bond and pair for life, and often perform elaborate dancing rituals prior to each breeding season. The Blue Crane is a partial migrant, and usually moves away from its breeding grounds during cool winter months.

Where to see Cranes on andBEYOND properties

The newly opened Kwandwe Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape is home to Blue Cranes between September and May with a population of nine breeding pairs recorded in 2000. This figure is expected to increase now that the reserve has been expanded. The Blue Crane is known as "Indwe" in the local Xhosa language and its extended tertiary feathers were used to adorn the heads of warriors during the fierce Frontier Wars. Kwandwe literally means "Place of the Blue Crane". In addition to monitoring its own population, Kwandwe also supports the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Eastern Cape Project which monitors both Blue and Grey Crowned Cranes in the region.

The Wattled Crane is also regularly seen by guests staying at Sandibe and Nxabega camps in the Okavango Delta. The Grey Crowned Crane is common in the Serengeti-Mara, Ngorongoro Crater and Manyara National Park, so is regularly encountered at Kichwa Tembo, Klein's Camp, Grumeti, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge and Maji Moto.

Posted: Birds by CC Africa, Date: 21 November 2006