Blue Crane

Blue Crane

The Blue Crane is the national bird of South Africa. It is threatened by extinction and listed as vulnerable. The majority of the remaining population is in eastern and southern South Africa and in Northern Namibia.
It is a tall bird, 100-120cm and weighs 3.5-6.2kg. It's colour is mostly pale grey with lighter feathers on top of it's head. Blue Cranes prefer dry grassy uplands as their habitat and areas where disturbance by humans is relatively low. They feed from the ground and most of their diet is comprised by grasses and sedges. They will also eat insects like grasshoppers as well as snails, crabs and frogs. (Bloukraanvoël - Anthropoides paradises)