The African crowned bird, also known as the crowned crane, is a large bird found in sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of the most distinctive and elegant birds on the continent. The African crowned bird has a stately bearing and is revered in many African cultures. Keep reading to learn more about this majestic bird!
What does the African crowned bird look like?
The African crowned bird has a striking physical appearance unlike any other bird. Some key features include:
– Large size – Can stand over 3 feet tall with a 6 foot wingspan
– Elaborate crown of stiff golden feathers on top of head
– Predominantly grey plumage with white wing tips and cheeks
– Red or black dewlap hanging from throat
– Long legs and toes used for walking and swimming
The ornate crown of golden feathers is the most distinctive feature and gives the crowned crane its regal name. When excited or displaying, the bird can raise and spread out the crown for a dramatic effect. The plumage is predominantly slate grey, with contrasting white on the cheeks, throat, and wings. The dewlap can be bright red or deep black depending on the subspecies. Juveniles have darker grey plumage until they mature.
Where does the African crowned bird live?
The African crowned bird inhabits wetland and grassland habitats south of the Sahara Desert. Its range stretches from Senegal and Gambia east to Ethiopia and south to South Africa. Some key countries where healthy populations exist include:
– Senegal
– Mali
– Sudan
– Kenya
– Tanzania
– Botswana
– Zambia
– Zimbabwe
– South Africa
They prefer areas near water sources such as rivers, lakes, marshes, and dams. Grasslands, floodplains, and wet savannahs also provide good habitat. Due to habitat loss, their strongholds are often now protected areas like national parks and reserves.
What is the behavior and diet of the African crowned bird?
The African crowned bird has some interesting behaviors and feeding habits:
– Omnivorous – eats insects, small vertebrates, eggs, plants
– Forages while walking purposefully through grasslands
– Probes in mud or shallow water for food
– Roosts in trees at night
– Forms lifelong pair bonds
– Male and female perform dancing displays
– Uses “kloonk” call to keep in contact with mate
They spend their days walking slowly and methodically through grass while foraging. At night, they roost together in the upper branches of trees. Their diet is omnivorous, consisting of insects, small reptiles and mammals, bird eggs, seeds, and greens. They often wade into shallow water in search of fish, frogs, and other aquatic prey.
Mated pairs will engage in elaborate dancing displays, sometimes intertwining necks and jumping. These dances cement the lifelong bond between crane pairs. Their iconic “kloonk kloonk” call carries long distances to communicate with their partner.
How does the African crowned bird breed and raise young?
The breeding and parenting behaviors of the African crowned bird are unique:
– Breeding timed with rainy season
– Large nests built in wetlands
– 2 eggs incubated for 28-31 days
– Both parents feed and protect hatchlings
– Chicks fledge at 2-3 months old
Breeding is timed with the rains, so that hatchlings have plenty of food. The parents build an enormous nest up to 6 feet across in shallow water or wetlands. The female lays 1-2 eggs which both parents incubate for 28-31 days.
The grey-coated chicks are precocial, meaning they leave the nest within a day and follow their parents for food. The chicks fledge and are able to fly at around 2-3 months old. Even after fledging, the young cranes stay with their parents for up to a year to continue learning survival skills.
Why is the African crowned bird endangered?
While still relatively widespread, the African crowned bird is classified as endangered by the IUCN Red List. Some major threats contributing to declining populations include:
– Habitat destruction – Draining wetlands for agriculture and development
– Overgrazing – Too many livestock degrading grassland habitats
– Hunting – Illegal poaching for meat, eggs, and feathers
– Disturbance – Human activities disrupting breeding cycles
As wetlands have been drained and grasslands degraded by overuse, the cranes have lost safe areas to breed, feed, and rest. They are also sensitive to disturbance, which can cause nest abandonment. Illegal hunting compounds these habitat pressures.
Conservation efforts focusing on wetland protection, limiting grazing, anti-poaching enforcement, and ecotourism development are needed to ensure the future survival of these regal birds.
Significance of the African crowned bird in African cultures
The African crowned bird holds cultural significance across many African societies:
– Symbol of royalty – Crowned head evokes regal associations
– Symbols in art, stories, and myths
– Believed to bring fertility, fortune, prosperity
– Important in dances, rituals, festivals
– Feathers and eggs used decoratively and ceremonially
The stately bird is a common symbol of royalty and prestige due to its crowned head. It often appears in folklore, mythology, and art across Africa. For example, the Edo people of Benin worshipped the crowned crane as a god.
The crane’s courtship dances inspire traditional human dances and coming-of-age rituals. Their feathers often adorn ceremonial costumes and masks. Many cultures believe the crane brings good fortune, prosperity, and fertility.
This reverence protects the birds and their wetland homes in traditional African communities. However, modern pressures are eroding this cultural shield in many areas.
Interesting facts about the African crowned bird
Some intriguing facts about the African crowned bird include:
| Can live up to 20-30 years in the wild |
| Are powerful fliers despite large size, able to reach speeds over 50 mph |
| Spend lots of time preening and oiling their feathers to maintain waterproofing |
| Have bare head patches that flush red when excited |
| Are called “cranes” but technically not true cranes – belong to own family |
| Make a variety of guttural booming and trumpeting calls |
| Juveniles have brown iris that changes to red in adulthood |
Their elaborate courtship dances involve jumping, bowing, wing flapping, and chasing. These rituals last many minutes and are repeated often.
While unable to swim, they often wade into water up to their necks to find food and avoid predators. They sometimes submerge their entire head when feeding.
Conservation status and protection efforts
The African crowned bird faces an uncertain future but has several things working in its favor:
– Listed as Endangered by IUCN Red List
– Protected under CITES Appendix II
– Network of protected wetlands across Africa
– Active breeding programs in zoos and nature centers
– Community conservation efforts and ecotourism to support local people
While endangered, the species has a broad range and large total population, estimated at anywhere from 150,000 to 500,000 individuals. There are stable populations in protected wetland reserves across Southern and Eastern Africa.
Captive breeding programs are having success hatching chicks. These programs can help supplement wild populations. Ecotourism focused on viewing the birds provides income to local communities which incentivizes conservation.
Anti-poaching patrols, habitat restoration, and limits on wetland development and grazing will all be crucial conservation measures going forward. With coordinated efforts, the elegant African crowned bird can make a comeback.
Conclusion
The African crowned bird is a unique and culturally important species facing an uncertain future. Its distinctive appearance and behaviors have made it an integral part of African cultures, myths, and ecosystems for millennia. Ongoing threats will require equally long-term conservation solutions through habitat protection, community support, anti-poaching measures, and responsible ecotourism. With focused conservation action, these majestic wetland birds can continue dancing through Africa’s plains and marshes for generations to come. The African crowned bird highlights the interconnectedness of nature, culture, and people’s wellbeing, values that conservation aims to preserve.
