Grus carunculata
The Wattled Crane, Grus carunculata, stands as Africa's largest crane species, a majestic and unmistakable inhabitant of the continent's extensive wetlands. Reaching an impressive height of up to 175 cm (69 in) with a wingspan potentially exceeding 260 cm (102 in) and weighing between 6.4 to 7.8 kg (14 to 17 lb), its stature alone commands attention. Its plumage is predominantly ash-gray, contrasting sharply with a white throat and foreneck, and striking black primary and secondary flight fea...
Found primarily in large, undisturbed wetlands, floodplains, marshes, and damp grasslands, often with seasonal flooding. It inhabits both lowland and high-altitude plateaus up to 2,000 meters.
Their diet consists mainly of aquatic vegetation, especially tubers and rhizomes of sedges and water lilies, which they extract by probing with their long bills. They also consume insects, frogs, snakes, and other small vertebrates opportunistically.
Wattled Cranes are diurnal, typically active during the day, foraging and performing elaborate displays, and often roosting communally in shallow water at night for safety. Their foraging strategy involves slow, deliberate wading, probing soft substrates with their long bills for aquatic tubers a...
The Wattled Crane's fragmented range stretches across central and southern Africa, primarily found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Key breeding strongholds include the Okavango Delta in B...
Vulnerable
- The Wattled Crane is the largest crane species native to Africa, both in height and wingspan. - Its distinctive wattles are the largest of any crane species and can change in size and color intensity with the bird's emotional state. - They are highly specialized feeders, relying heavily on the ...