Crowned crane bird. Lifestyle and habitat of the crowned crane

Eastern crowned crane (lat. Balearica regulorum) is a bird of the crane family that lives in eastern and southern Africa. Of the six species of cranes that live on the African continent, the eastern crowned crane is considered the most numerous. The bird is one of the national symbols of Uganda and is featured on its national flag and coat of arms.

The bird is about 106 cm tall and weighs 3.5 kg. The plumage of the body is mostly pale gray - lighter in comparison with the crowned crane. The wings are mostly white, but there are also golden, red and brown feathers. Along with the crowned crane (but unlike other species), there is a large crest on the head, consisting of stiff golden feathers, thanks to which the bird got its name. There are white spots on the cheeks, and a throat pouch under the chin, similar to the wattles of the scalloped crane, but capable of swelling. Compared to the crowned crane, the pouch looks much larger. In addition, there are also spots of unfeathered red skin on the cheeks, which are somewhat larger than those of the crowned crane. The beak is relatively short, somewhat flattened, dark gray. Legs are black. Unlike many other cranes, the eastern crowned crane has a long rear toe on its leg, which allows the bird to easily hold on to a tree or shrub branch.

Sexual dimorphism (visible differences between male and female) is not pronounced, although in a pair, males look somewhat larger. In young birds, the plumage is mostly pale gray with rufous tips, and on the belly it is dark yellow or rufous. The back of their head is brown, their head is completely covered with feathers.

There are two subspecies of the eastern crowned crane - B. r. regulorum, found in East Africa, and B. r. gibbericeps, found in the south. Leads a sedentary or seasonally nomadic lifestyle in East and South Africa. Subspecies B. r. regulorum, numbering about 10 thousand, is found in the Republic of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Subspecies B. r. gibbericeps is more numerous, its population is about 75-85 thousand birds, and its range occupies a fairly vast territory in eastern Africa, which includes countries such as Zambia, Zaire, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Burundi, Malawi, Botswana and Rwanda.

It feeds and nests both in wetlands and in the steppe zone. Often lives close to human habitation and agricultural land. It roams within the range depending on the time of year, gathering in flocks around water bodies during dry times and dispersing with the onset of the rainy season. Able to perch on tree branches, which is characteristic only of crowned cranes.

The breeding season lasts during the rainy season. Mutual courtship between males and females can be expressed in several ways, one of which is the production of flapping sounds by inflating and releasing air from the throat pouch. At this moment, the cranes bow their heads forward, and then throw them back with a sharp movement. In addition, the birds are capable of producing distinctive trumpet sounds that are markedly different from other crane species with longer tracheae. Courtship may be accompanied by mutual dances, which include jumping, running, flapping wings, tossing tufts of grass, or shaking the head.

It usually nests in a lowland on the edge of a swampy area, densely overgrown with grass and in close proximity to a lawn or a sown field. The nest is built from sedge and other near-aquatic plants uprooted and is a large, well-packed heap. The clutch is the largest among cranes, 2-5 eggs and varies depending on the height. The incubation period is 28-31 days, both parents incubate. Chicks fledge after 56-100 days.

It feeds on both animal and plant foods. The main diet is grass shoots, seeds, insects and other invertebrates, as well as small vertebrates. It often forages in the fields with peanuts, soybeans, corn and millet.

Both in nature and in the zoo, crested birds invariably attract more of our attention than their relatives, devoid of head ornaments. However, the crest crested strife. For example, a motley “fan” on the head of a hoopoe is much more spectacular than both a lark’s “forelock” and a “forelock”, by which you can distinguish a waxwing from afar. And people especially notice and appreciate birds with tufts in the form of a crown, or a crown, subconsciously attributing to such birds the qualities inherent in persons of royal and royal blood, and sitting them in palace parks and greenhouses. Such, for example, are peacocks popular since ancient times. Such are the large crowned pigeons from New Guinea. And such, finally, are the inhabitants of the Black Continent - the crowned cranes.

Gray neck, red "earring" ...

Bird researchers identify two different types crowned cranes - black, or black-necked, and gray, or gray-necked. Sometimes, in order to avoid confusion with black and black-necked relatives from the genus of true cranes, they are called western and eastern crowned cranes, respectively. These long-legged and long-necked birds are slightly smaller in size. white stork. Their height reaches 1.1-1.3 meters, and their weight is 3-4 kg. Cranes are peculiar, they are not similar to the inhabitants of the northern swamps. First of all, the beak: it is at least one and a half times shorter, which immediately catches the eye. Then the head - it is not completely naked, like most cranes (excluding belladonnas), but only on the cheeks. The forehead is decorated with a black velvety “cap”, and on the back of the head a golden chrysanthemum burns with a “crown” of thin hair-like, slightly twisted feathers with dark tips - the same crown that gave the name to the birds.

In general, both species are colored the same: lead-gray feathers on the body, on the wings, the primary flight feathers are black, the secondary ones are chestnut-red, and the coverts are pure white. The neck and chest are bristling with elongated pointed feathers. By the way, "crowns" are distinguished, as is clear from their specific names, precisely by the color of the neck plumage. Another sign is the red color on the cheeks: in the black-necked crane it never reaches the top, but in its cousin it is always present in the upper part. And another bright detail is a red leathery "earring", clearly visible on the throat of a gray-necked crane.

Dancing in the background of the nest

Crowned cranes inhabit sub-Saharan Africa, avoiding rainforests and mountainous regions. Both species do not occur together in nature. While the "torn" region of distribution of the black-necked is stretched along the parallel from Senegal and Gambia in the west to Sudan and Ethiopia in the east, the range of the gray-necked "descends" along the meridian from Uganda and Kenya to the Republic of South Africa. Looking more closely at the map of Africa, it is easy to see that the ranges of both species are separated by the equator. Therefore, the black-necked "crowned bearer" should be called not the western, but the northern one, while the gray-necked one should not be called the eastern, but the southern one.

However, both one and the other lead a similar lifestyle. They are characteristic inhabitants of the savanna, gravitating towards swampy depressions, floodplains and lake shores. They are calm about the proximity of a person, especially outside the breeding season. They peck seeds, pluck grass, catch small animals - from insects to lizards. On cultivated lands, they eat peanuts, soybeans, corn, millet and other crops. During outbreaks of locusts, crowned cranes switch to feeding almost exclusively on this pest, for which they have been well known among African farmers since ancient times.

Like other cranes, crowned ones “dance” with pleasure, and not only during the mating season, but throughout the year - even in pairs, even in large companies. At the same time, they jump high with open wings, bow, walk with quick steps, describing circles and loops, and complete the dance with another spectacular jump. Flashes of red and white feathers when opening and folding wings make a fascinating impression both on dance partners and on outside observers. In addition, the special device of the trachea makes the voice of crowned cranes lower and hoarse than that of their other relatives.

In general, this is one of the most striking spectacles that can only be seen in African nature, and it is not surprising that the local population uses crane steps in ritual choreography. Once in Africa, a real “ballet performance” was observed, in which 120 crowned cranes danced at the same time!

Among the cranes of the world, only the crowned ones are able to perch on trees. Every now and then you see them on the branches of acacias and baobabs, as well as on poles of power lines. Even when raising chicks, parents fly away to spend the night in crowns, before sheltering offspring in damp thickets. However, crowned cranes sit on trees not only for recreation. Sometimes they build nests in the low crowns of umbrella acacias. In general, these birds are sedentary, however, if the alternation of dry and rainy seasons leads to a decrease in food, they migrate to where it is more satisfying. Although cranes keep in pairs all year long, outside the breeding season they can unite in flocks of up to 200 birds.

The beginning of the rainy season signals to the cranes: "It's time!". In the black-necked, the mating season lasts from July to November, and in the gray-necked - from December to March: the difference in the hemispheres affects. Crowned cranes are faithful, gentle and loving spouses. Protecting their territory, they mark it with “dances” and screams and (tenderness on the side!) Furiously drive away not only representatives of their own species, but also other somewhat large feathered neighbors, such as bustards, geese and ducks. A nest of grass and reeds is built in the form of a rounded platform. From 2-3 eggs, in about a month, chicks covered with red fluff hatch. They spend about a day in the nest, and then leave it, although for a couple of days the family returns there for the night.

Depending on the weather and food conditions, young cranes fledge in 56-100 days, and fully mature at three, less often at two years. How long they live in nature is unknown; in captivity, the life expectancy of crowned cranes is up to 25 years.

Interestingly, a special hepatitis B virus was found in the blood of crowned cranes. It only affects birds, but its study can help in the fight against human disease.

In legends and in wallets

No one has ever kept accurate records of crowned cranes in nature, however, according to experts' estimates, the total number of birds with black necks is estimated at 67-77 thousand individuals and 85-95 thousand with gray ones. It would seem a lot, but these numbers are getting smaller every year. In just the last decade, the number of gray-necked cranes, according to the International Crane Fund, has decreased by more than 100 thousand birds. Therefore, both species are listed in the International Red Book and Appendix II of the CITES convention.

The main reason for the decline in the number of cranes is the change in landscapes due to population growth. impact on the use of pesticides in agriculture, and violation of the hydro regime during the construction of dams. In a number of places, crowned cranes are hunted for their meat and, of course, they are caught alive for sale to zoos and hobbyists. exotic birds. Despite the fact that almost everywhere they are protected by law, this protection for the most part remains on paper.

But in some countries, for example, in Burkina Faso, crowned cranes are covered with ancient cultural traditions and beliefs, which affects their protection better than any law. Visible from afar, they could not but become the heroes of African fairy tales and legends. At the same time, in a number of areas of Kenya, it is still considered a bad sign if crowned cranes build a nest near the village. But in other parts of this country, as well as in Zambia and in northern Namibia, they are still treated as sacred beings. Ugandans generally chose the crowned crane as their national bird, placing it on the flag, coat of arms and paper money. It is not surprising that with such an attitude, cranes do well, despite the high human population density.

Decoration of living collections

In European zoos, crowned handsome men are kept from about the middle 19th century. Today, there are more than 2,500 individuals of both species in zoological collections around the world, not counting birds in private hands. Solitary cranes quickly get used to people, become tame and greet their owners with joyful bows and jumps. True, "ill-bred" individuals can cause trouble, distributing lightning-fast blows right and left with a strong beak.

In zoos, crowned cranes are settled on fenced lawns with large waterfowl, in mixed "African" pens with giraffes, zebras and antelopes, or, like peacocks, they are allowed to roam freely on lawns and alleys to the delight of visitors. In winter, they, of course, need a warm, draft-free room. In such conditions, cranes feel great, especially if their menu is not limited to grain and compound feed, but regularly include fresh herbs, vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, insects and white mice in their diet.

Unfortunately, crowned cranes are usually taken into captivity for no more than decoration of the collection, and so far the facts of the appearance of chicks are more often accidental than expected. Another thing is that these facts are increasing every year. So, in the post-Soviet space, where about 80 cranes with golden “crowns” on the back of their heads are constantly kept in zoos, their breeding has been achieved in Almaty, Kyiv, Chisinau, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Riga, Rostov-on-Don and St. Petersburg. Successfully matched pairs breed chicks for many years and even in small enclosures. At the same time, black-necked crowned cranes in captivity are found four times less often than gray-necked cranes, and they breed much worse.

An old African legend says that once a great leader, having lost his way while hunting, turned to various animals that he met on his way for help. He asked the antelope and take him to where his tribe was.

However, they all refused the leader, reminding him how he ruthlessly hunted them and their cubs. And when the old leader had already lost all hope, he saw a flock of cranes, which showed him the way to the village.

As a sign of gratitude, the leader ordered the blacksmith to forge a golden crown for each bird. A few days later, the cranes returned and said that other animals, out of envy, tore off and trampled on their crowns. Then the wise leader summoned a sorcerer who touched the head of each bird, and a crown of golden feathers grew on its head. So the crowned crane appeared (lat. Balearica pavonina) - the smallest of the fifteen species of cranes and the only one who spends the night on the branches of trees.

These graceful birds have chosen the eastern and western regions of Africa as their habitat, populating water meadows, the shores of freshwater marshes and lakes, usually not far from acacia thickets, where they settle for the night. Unlike its other relatives, there are long fingers on the back of the legs of the crowned crane, allowing it to maintain balance on the thin branches of young trees and shrubs.

In different parts of the continent, two almost identical subspecies can be found, differing from each other in the arrangement of colored spots on the cheeks. In cranes subspecies Balearica pavonina pavonina living between Senegal, Gambia and Lake Chad, the white spot is located above the red one, and in representatives of the subspecies Balearica pavonina ceciliae inhabiting the territories of Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya - on the contrary.

Crowned cranes are diurnal, uniting in flocks between mating seasons. These birds are omnivorous and seem to devour everything that comes their way. Seeds of plants, grains, shoots of rice, grasshoppers and flies, centipedes, crabs, fish, amphibians and reptiles - all this arouses gastronomic interest in crowned cranes, slowly going around their territory in search of food.

With the onset of the rainy season, which lasts from July to October, the mating season begins - the flocks break up and the cranes unite in pairs. In order to win the partner's favor, the male performs a dance for her, consisting of intricate swings, whirling, high jumps (sometimes up to 2.5 meters) and accompanied by low calling sounds.

These sounds are the result of inflating the throat sac located on the crane's neck. If the female answers him in the same way, he approaches her with wide steps, and both partners mate.

Crowned cranes build their nests from grass, placing them on the ground. At this time, both future parents are closely monitoring that uninvited guests do not invade their territory. After about a month, two or three eggs laid will hatch into gray-brown chicks that leave the nest the next day. And after two or three months they are already able to make their first solo flights.

Niramin - Apr 4th, 2016

The crowned crane (lat. Balearica pavonina) lives in the savannas of Africa, preferring to settle near acacia thickets in flood meadows and the shores of freshwater lakes and marshes.

Basically, the crowned crane looks like all members of the crane family. However, this beautiful bird has a number of distinctive features, the main of which is a lush tuft on the head. The tuft is formed by stiff golden feathers, thanks to which the crane got its name. On the chin of the crowned crane there is a bright red earring, which is a throat pouch like a turkey or a rooster. With the help of a throat pouch, birds make flapping sounds during the mating season to attract the opposite sex. These representatives of cranes, unlike their relatives, settle down for the night on tree branches. Therefore, birds have a long rear toe, with which the crane is held on thin branches during sleep. It must be said that the crowned crane reaches a weight of up to 5 kg, and the height of the bird is about 1 m with a wingspan of just under 2 m. Therefore, it is not so easy for such a large bird to stay on a tree. And the crowned crane is not difficult.

The crane feeds on almost everything that it meets on the way. With pleasure, it regales itself with plant seeds, rice shoots and grain, does not refuse various kinds of insects, among which flies and grasshoppers predominate. The menu of this crane is complemented by amphibians and reptiles, as well as fish and crabs.

The crowned crane is a sedentary bird. Therefore, it migrates in search of food and a partner during the breeding season exclusively within its range.

Interestingly, parents do not have to take care of the chicks for long, since newly hatched babies are able to go on an independent life after a day.

We bring to your attention a gallery of photos of the crowned crane:

Photo: Crowned crane with chicks.

Video: Crowned crane and praying mantis!

Video: Crowned crane with chicks

Video: Dance of the Crowned Crane

crowned crane - large bird from the family of real cranes, leading a sedentary lifestyle in West and East Africa.

The appearance of the crowned crane

A bird with a height of 91-104 cm, a wingspan of 183-198 cm and a weight of 3.9-5.2 kg.

The plumage of most of the body is black or dark gray; coverts of elytra and underwing are white.

The main distinguishing feature of this species is the presence of a large crest on the head, consisting of hard golden feathers, thanks to which the bird got its name. There are red and white spots on the cheeks, a pair on each side. There are two subspecies of this crane - B. p. pavonina, found in western Africa; and B.p. ceciliae from Sudan and Ethiopia, which differ in the arrangement of spots on the cheeks - in the Sudanese species, the red spot is higher than the white one, and in the West African species it is lower.

There is a small red throat pouch under the chin, similar to that of a rooster or turkey, but it can swell.

The beak is relatively small, slightly flattened on the sides, black.

Legs are black. Unlike many other cranes, the crowned crane has a long rear toe on its leg, which allows the bird to easily hold on to a tree or shrub branch.

Sexual dimorphism is not pronounced, although males look somewhat larger. In young birds, the plumage is lighter, the feathers of the upper body are reddish at the ends, and sand-colored below. The back of the neck is brown and the face is yellow.

Distribution of the Crowned Crane

The crowned crane lives in the savannas located south of the Sahara Desert, in the Sahel region. It is also common in Ethiopia, Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and East Africa. Prefers open spaces, which can be both swampy and more arid. However, preference is given to the banks of reservoirs, water meadows and swamps with fresh water.

Crowned cranes can also be found in paddy fields, as well as fields set aside for other moisture-loving crops. Abandoned agricultural land located near water bodies is also popular.

Lifestyle and nutrition of the crowned crane

The crowned crane leads a sedentary lifestyle. It roams within its natural range. Per diems and seasonal migrations can be quite large in their distance and amount to several tens of kilometers. The crowned crane is active during daylight hours.

It prefers to stray in flocks, and rather large ones, but this does not apply to the breeding season. In addition, when the rainy season comes, these birds break into isolated pairs that protect the occupied territory, both from other representatives of their species, and from other birds, such as geese and ducks.

Crowned cranes are omnivorous - they feed on both animal and plant foods. The main diet consists of grass shoots, seeds, insects and other invertebrates, as well as small vertebrates. They often feed on grain on agricultural land, but unlike the eastern crowned crane close to them, farmers do not consider them as pests.

Crowned crane breeding

The breeding season is during the rainy season. It is expressed in mutual courtship between males and females in various ways. One of the most common is the clapping sound, which is achieved by inflating the throat sac and then releasing air from it. At the same time, cranes tilt their heads forward, and then throw them back with a sharp movement.

Another kind of mating game is specific trumpet sounds, which can be easily distinguished from those sounds made by other types of cranes that have longer tracheas. At the same time, mating games can be accompanied by joint dances, which include shaking the head, tossing tufts of grass, flapping wings, running and jumping.

The area occupied for nesting is quite small and ranges from ten to forty hectares, but this small area is carefully guarded from intrusions of other birds. The nest has a round shape and is built, as a rule, from sedge, but in the absence of such, other grass can also be used. It is located near the water, and in individual cases even right in the water, among dense vegetation.

The eggs laid by the female are pinkish or blue in color without spots. Their number ranges from two to five, but the average is two and a half. The duration of the incubation period is from 28 to 31 days. Both parents take part in the incubation of eggs, although the female is mainly engaged in this.

The chicks hatched from the eggs are covered with fluff and can leave the nest in a day, although, as a rule, they return there for another two to three days. Soon after the appearance of the chicks, the family changes its place of residence, moving to higher grassy areas, where it can feed on shoot tips and insects. After 60-100 days, the chicks fledge.

During dry periods, crowned cranes migrate to higher ground and are often found near large herds of animals, where large numbers of invertebrates can be found that have been disturbed by herd movements. If the year as a whole is unfavorable, the couple may not leave their flock at all and remain it.

Interesting facts about the crowned crane

1. The crowned crane eats any food. Be it a leaf, a blade of grass, an insect, a grain, fish, crabs or reptiles.

2. The omnivorous nature of these birds allows them to always and in almost any environment find food for themselves and provide food for their offspring.

3. The life expectancy of crowned cranes is approximately 50 years.

4. It is interesting that these birds make peculiar sounds, by which they can immediately be distinguished from other types of cranes - because of this, even for several kilometers, any person can hear the approach of crowned cranes. There is an opinion that these calls help the birds to stay in the flock and not to lose each other.

5. Cranes can take off at fairly high distances, up to about 10,000 meters.

6. Distinctive feature crowned cranes is a small crest on the head, which consists of golden feathers. Therefore, one gets the impression that they have a golden crown on their heads. From which such a peculiar name appeared.

7. In the sun, the crown of cranes sparkles unusually, which cannot but arouse admiration.

Legend of the Crowned Crane

The indigenous people of Africa have a legend about a lost leader who asked different animals to tell him the right path, but all the animals refused to help the leader.

And then he met the cranes, who were able to show the leader the right path. The leader decided to thank the birds by presenting each of them with a beautiful golden crown.

After some time, the cranes came to the chief and said that other animals had destroyed their crowns.

After that, the leader called the local sorcerer, who, having touched the heads of birds, created noble golden crowns from feathers there.

So there were such amazing and unusual birds like crowned cranes.

Population Status and Protection of the Crowned Crane

The number of crowned cranes is about 40,000 individuals, it tends to decrease and for this reason the crowned crane has the status of a vulnerable species (category VU) in the International Red Book.