Stanley crane, Paradise crane
The Blue crane is South Africa's national bird. It is small in relation to other cranes and has a large head, a thick neck, and beautiful long wing feathers, called tertials, that trail behind it and can be mistaken for tail feathers. It has head feathers that can be erect when it is excited or being aggressive. Males and females have similar plumage but males are larger. The juvenile is a pale gray color and does not have elongated tertial feathers. Chicks have dark gray bodies and brown heads. Their feet and legs are black.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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Wading birdsWading birds forage along shorelines and mudflats searching for small aquatic prey crawling or burrowing in the mud and sand. These birds live in w...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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Soaring birdsSoaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Altitudinal MigrantAltitudinal migration is a short-distance animal migration from lower altitudes to higher altitudes and back. Altitudinal migrants change their ele...
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starts with
Blue cranes are native to southern Africa, more than 99% of them living within South Africa. There is a small breeding population in and around the area of the Etosha Pan in northern Namibia. These birds breed at high elevations in dry grasslands where there is less chance of disturbance. They roost and breed in wetland areas if these are available, some individuals prefer to nest in arable land and pastureland. Blue cranes migrate locally, moving with their chicks in autumn and winter to lower elevations.
Blue cranes are more terrestrial than the other large cranes. Their shorter bill is an adaptation to their feeding behavior, as they feed more often in grassland areas than in wetlands. Blue cranes are territorial and solitary breeders, however, after the nesting season, the birds become highly congregatory and may gather in flocks of up to 1,000 individuals. They also prefer to roost at night communally. There is a strict hierarchy in groups, with the larger adult males being dominant. All cranes dance, with movements including bowing, jumping, running, grass or stick tossing, and the flapping of wings. They dance at any age, and although dancing is commonly associated with courting behavior, it is generally thought to be a usual part of a crane's motor development and serves to deal with aggression, relieve tension, and make the pair bond stronger.
Blue cranes are omnivores and most of their diet is comprised of grasses and sedges, with many types fed on based on their proximity to the nests. They are also regularly feed on numerous, sizeable insects such as grasshoppers. Small animals such as crabs, snails, frogs, small lizards, and snakes may supplement the diet, with such protein-rich food often being broken down and fed to the young.
Blue cranes are monogamous with long-term pair bonds. Courtship involves a dance where the male bird chases the female, interspersed with bows, leaps, and bouts of calling. From September to February is the usual nesting time, with the typical nesting site being at high elevations amongst secluded grassland. The eggs are laid on bare ground or in the grass. Two eggs are laid and incubation lasts around 30-33 days, carried out by both parents. The young are able to walk after 2 days and can swim well shortly thereafter. They are fed primarily by their mothers, who regurgitate food into their mouths. The chicks fledge at the age of 3-5 months and continue to be tended to until the next breeding season, at which time they are chased off by their parents. The young fledge from 3 to 5 months and gain reproductive maturity at 3-5 years old.
The biggest threat to these beautiful birds is habitat destruction by converting natural biomes to agricultural land. As humans continue to increase in number, agricultural expansion, persecution, disturbance, and the grazing of livestock also intensifies, and these threats will probably become worse. Other threats are colliding with power lines, predation by dogs, and illegal capture of chicks for the pet trade and for food.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Blue crane is over 25,580 individuals, with a minimum of 25,520 individuals in South Africa. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable(VU) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...