South African crowned crane

South African crowned crane

This sponsorship is dedicated to the late founder and long-time secretary of the Alexander Koenig Society by his family as a tribute to his memory.

The South African Crowned Crane(Balearica regulorum) is a rather small member of the crane family (Gruidae) with a body size of up to 110 cm. It is found in East Africa, south of the Sahara.

The plumage of the South African crowned crane is dark grey on the upper side and light grey on the underside. The wings are usually white, but can change to a golden to brown colour. It owes its name to what is probably its most striking feature, the straw-coloured feather crest on its head. The South African crowned crane also has a bright red flap of skin on its neck, which can be filled with air and is used to produce mating calls.

The habitat of the South African crowned crane is wetlands, flooded plains, savannahs and grasslands. However, it can now also be found in areas influenced by humans, such as agricultural land. As a typical generalist, it feeds on both animal and plant foods. Its diet includes seeds, shoots, insects, worms, crabs, lizards and frogs. When foraging, the South African crowned crane can often be seen trying to flush out insects with targeted kicks and stomps, which it can then pick up. In addition, it often stays close to large herbivores such as gazelles and antelopes in order to also benefit from startled small animals.

The breeding season of the African crowned crane is between October and April. The nest is built by both parents from blades of grass and other plants, usually on the edge of wetlands. The clutch usually consists of 2 to 5 eggs, which is the largest clutch size among cranes. The eggs are incubated by both parents for about a month until the young hatch. These then take between 56 and 100 days to fledge.

Due to various human influences, the number of African crowned cranes living in the wild has declined rapidly in recent years. Its population is estimated at only around 20,000 individuals. The main reasons for this are the destruction of their habitat, the increased use of pesticides and the hunting of the birds and their eggs.