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AFRICAN CROWNED CRANE
Images: "Clyde" (above) has a fuller, more vibrant crown and tends to be more vocal than
fellow crane "Bob" (below)
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Balearica regulorum gibbericeps
HOUSE NAME: "Clyde" & "Bob"
HABITAT: Mixture of wetlands and open grassland in south-eastern parts of Africa
CONSERVATION STATUS: Endangered
FUN FACT: Crowned cranes are the only cranes able to perch in trees. They have a long, prehensile hind toe called a hallux that allows them to grasp tree limbs.
DIET: Tips of grasses, seeds, insects and other invertebrates, small vertebrates, groundnuts, soybeans, maize and millet.
DESCRIPTION: Commonly called the Grey Crowned Crane or the East African Crowned Crane. The East African crowned crane is a large, graceful bird with long neck and legs, a streamlined body, and long rounded wings. It reaches 3 feet in height, with a wingspan up to 6 ½ feet and weighing in at ~8 pounds. It is easily recognizable by a tuft of straw-colored, bristle-like feathers on its crown. The bird is generally dark gray, with a paler gray neck and underparts. The wings appear mostly white in flight, with black primaries and chestnut secondaries. The forehead is black and there are red and white patches on the cheeks. Males and females are almost identical, but males can be slightly larger.
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