Grey Crowned Crane
Scientific name: Balearica regulorum
The Grey Crowned-Crane (also known as a Crested Crane) is a very large bird (often over a meter tall) and has a distinctive ‘crown’ of golden feathers on the top of its head. Grey crowned-cranes have a distinctive ‘booming’ call which they make by inflating the red sacks underneath their chin.
Breeding pairs of cranes are monogamous. Couples often ‘sing’ to one another to affirm their bond; this is known as unison calling. Cranes are also known for ‘dancing’. They move their bodies, bob their heads and leap around; this is usually to impress the opposite sex during courtship. However, the crane’s dance can also be a sign of aggression.
Grey Crowned-Cranes share their parental duties. The male and the female build a nest together and both help out with incubating the egg and raising the young.
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At Noah's Ark...
We have a pair that live in the bird walk through, and a pair that live in the Vulture Aviary.
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Size Fact
A full-grown, full-sized crane’s wingspan can reach up to 2 meters wide. -
Food Fact
Cranes have been known to eat other birds’ eggs. -
Fun Fact
The Grey Crowned-Crane is the national bird of Uganda.
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