Blue Crane

They are known as the Stanley Crane and Paradise Crane, they are the national bird of South Africa. The Xhosa and Zulu tribes in Africa revere the Blue Crane. Zulu royalty were the only tribe traditionally allowed to wear Blue Crane feathers, while Xhosa warriors were permitted to wear Blue Crane feathers into battle. The blue crane is a tall, ground-dwelling bird, but is fairly small for the size of the crane family. It is 3 ft 3 in–3 ft 11 in tall, a wingspan of 5 ft 11 in–6 ft 7 in. The wing chord measures 20.2–23.2 in, culmen measures 3.1–3.9 in and tarsus measures 8.1–9.9 in. This crane is pale blue-gray becoming darker on the upper head, neck and nape. From the crown to the lores, the plumage is lighter, sometimes whitish. The bill is ochre to greyish, with a pink tinge. The long wingtip feathers which trail to the ground, The primaries are black to slate grey, with dark coverts and blackish on the secondaries. Unlike most cranes, it has a relatively large head and a proportionately thin neck. Juveniles are similar but slightly lighter, with tawny coloration on the head, and no long wing plumes.

Habitat

They are birds of the dry grassy uplands, usually the pastured grasses of hills, valleys, and plains with a few scattered trees. They prefer areas in the nesting season that have access to both upland and wetland areas, though they feed almost entirely in dry areas. They are altitudinal migrants, generally nesting in the lower grasslands of an elevation of around 1,300 to 2,000 m and moving down to lower altitudes for winter. Though historically found in areas of low human disturbance, the blue crane is currently thriving in the highly transformed agricultural areas of the Western Cape. This is the only portion of its range where the population is increasing, though they still face threats such as poisoning in the region.

Diet

They are omnivores. They feed from the ground and appear to rarely feed near wetland areas. Most of their diet is comprised by grasses and sedges, with many types fed on based on their proximity to the nests. They are also regularly insectivorous, feeding on numerous, sizeable insects such as grasshoppers. Small animals such as crabs, snails, frogs, small lizards and snakes may supplement the diet, with such protein-rich food often being broken down and fed to the young.

Breeding

The breeding period is highly seasonal, with eggs recorded between October and March. Pair-formation amongst groups often starts in October, beginning with both potential parents running in circles with each other. The male then engages in a dance, flings various objects in the air and then jumps. Eventually, a female from the group and the male appear to select each other and both engage in the dance of throwing objects and jumping. After the dance, mating commences in around two weeks. In a great majority of known nests, two eggs are laid (rarely 1 or 3). Both males and females will incubate, with the male often incubating at night and, during the day, defending the nest territory while the female incubates. The incubation stage lasts around 30 days. The young are able to walk after two days and can swim well shortly thereafter. They are fed primarily by their mothers, who regurgitates food into the mouths. The chicks fledge in the age of 3–5 months. The young continue to be tended to until the next breeding season, at which time they are chased off by their parents.

Population

The population has been estimated at 25,555 individuals (roughly equivalent to 17,000 mature individuals). The most recent population estimate for South Africa is a minimum of 25,520 individuals, with 2,616 of these in the eastern grasslands, 10,822 in central Karoo and 12,095 in the Western Cape; but only 35 individuals in Namibia. In South Africa, numbers in the south and south-western Western Cape have increased as the species has expanded into agricultural areas, while surveys conducted by the Endangered Wildlife Trust and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife suggest the population in KwaZulu Natal has increased by 45% over the past decade; although the national population has fallen by half since the 1970s. Evidence suggests that the population in the central Karoo region of South Africa is currently stable as the species has adapted to the pasture land use system, although it may have increased in the Karoo since the 1980s. In Namibia the population may be stable, although it has declined there since the 1970s. Its habitat is under severe threat of degradation and destruction due to open cast coal and uranium mining, potential gas extraction and agriculture, as well as by a change in the agricultural landscape due to changes in the climate and socio-economic factors.

Threats

The main factors behind its drastic population decline since the 1970s were widespread poisoning on agricultural land (both intentional and accidental). Poisoning has decreased over the last few years. Accidental poisoning, however, still occurs occasionally when grain is soaked in agrochemicals for the capture of wildlife for food, although they are not usually the target species, and also as a result of the misuse of agrochemicals. The species is threatened by a change in agricultural crops and increases in the human population in agricultural areas. Climate change could force changes in agricultural practices that may be detrimental to the species. Prolonged dry spells affecting habitat quality not only will directly impact the species, but can also result in competition with domestic stock for habitat at such times.
Other major threats include collision with power-lines, which is now the major cause of mortality and could have been a hidden cause before lines were monitored, entanglement with fences, illegal capture of fledglings for food and a growing threat from local and international trade, use in local tradition , predation by domestic dogs and the drowning of chicks in water-troughs. In the Overberg, Western Cape, which holds approximately half the global population, modelling gave a conservative estimate that 12% of the Blue Crane population in the study area is killed annually in power-line collisions. Collision rates are also be high in the Karoo. As of yet wind turbines have resulted in only a small number of casualties of this species, but with predicted increases in the number of wind farms this could become a greater threat to the species.

Conservation

These are some of the things we as whole can do to protect these birds:

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.