IDENTIFICATION

Adults – Body is silvery bluish gray, black wingtips, extra-long tertial feathers that are dark and dangle nearly to the ground, black legs; juveniles – slightly lighter blue grey feathers.

Download FREE Blue Crane images.

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RANGE

Endemic (only found in a certain region) to southern Africa, with more than 99% of the population occurring within South Africa. A small, disjunct breeding population exists in northern Namibia, in and around Etosha Pan.

 

Click to view range map.

 

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DIET

Seeds of sedges and grasses, waste grains, insects and small vertebrates.

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CALL

Listen to Blue Crane calls:

Guard Call | A sharp, single call expressing alarm.

Unison Call | A duet performed by a pair, to strengthen their bond and protect their territory.

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THREATS

Changes in agriculture practices, power line collisions, human disturbance, unintentional and intentional poisoning, land conversion, live capture and egg collection for commercial trade.

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OUR PLAN

Conserving Blue Cranes on agricultural landscapes in South Africa. We are:

• Developing and implementing a conservation plan for Blue Cranes, based on a clear understanding of how cranes use the agricultural systems in the Western Cape and the probable impacts of climate change on land use and agricultural practices.
• Seeking to minimize the impact of mining and other land development on critical Blue Crane breeding and roosting sites.
• Implementing a media and marketing campaign to honor Blue Cranes as the national bird in South Africa, a designation that will drive public engagement in their protection.

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HOW YOU CAN HELP

Fight the African Crane Trade.

Become a member of the International Crane Foundation.

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Learn more about Blue Cranes:

Johnsgard PA. 1983. Cranes of the world. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Meine CD, Archibald GW. 1996. The cranes: status survey and conservation action plan. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.