Crowned crane

Crowned crane

Scientific name: Balearica regulorum
In the wild: common in Africa
Jerusalem zoo: Individuals at the bird lake
In the Bible: the Crane appears once in the Bible.
The crowned crane is a tall bird. Its length can reach up to one meter. It has a beautiful "crown" of stiff golden feathers, white cheeks with a red spot at the top of the cheek, grey neck plumage and black belly and legs. It can be found in marshes, lakes and grasslands of Africa, distributed from Zaire to Tanzania. Found in flocks up to 100 birds, the crowned crane makes a distinctive cry while in flight. African tribes who share the cranes' habitat believe that the cranes bring the rain. The cranes height and excellent vision are a big advantage to escape predators in the high grasses of the savannah. The crane has a unique courtship "dance" which includes cries, bows, fluttering of the wings and leaping. Both male and female take part in this ritual. Some African tribes adopted this dance and have their own" dance of the crowned crane". The cranes diet consists of snakes, frogs, insects, plants and seeds. Although not considered in danger of extinction, the drying of marshlands for the sake of agriculture makes these birds future uncertain.

Photo: Guy Olami

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