Black Crowned Crane

Taxobox
name = Black Crowned Crane
status = NT | status_system = IUCN3.1


image_width = 200px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Gruiformes
familia = Gruidae
genus = "Balearica"
species = "B. pavonina"
binomial = "Balearica pavonina"
binomial_authority = Linnaeus, 1758

The Black Crowned Crane ("Balearica pavonina") is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It was once called also Kaffir Crane.

It occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although in nests in somewhat wetter habitats. There are two subspecies: "B. p. pavonina" in the west and the more numerous "B. p. ceciliae" in east Africa.

This species and the closely related Grey Crowned Crane, "B. regulorum", which prefers wetter habitats for foraging, are the only cranes that can nest in trees. This habit, amongst other things, is a reason why the relatively small "Balearica" cranes are believed to closely resemble the ancestral members of the Gruidae. It is about 1 m (3.3 ft) long, has a 1.87 m (6.2 ft) wingspan and weighs about 3.6 kg (8 lbs).

Like all cranes, the Black Crowned Crane eats insects, reptiles, and small mammals. It is endangered, especially in the west, by habitat loss and degradation.

Media

Videos of the Black Crowned Crane at Disney's Animal Kingdom

References

* Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is near threatened

External links

* [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=2784&m=0 BirdLife Species Factsheet]
* [http://www.savingcranes.org/species/black_crowned.cfm International Crane Foundation's Black-crowned Crane page]

Gallery