South Africa crowned crane
| South Africa crowned crane | ||||||||||||
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South Africa Crowned Cranes ( Balearica regulorum ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Balearica regulorum | ||||||||||||
| ( Bennett , 1834) |
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The Gray Crowned Crane ( Balearica regulorum ), and Gray-necked crowned crane or Heller Crowned Crane called, is a bird art from the family of cranes (Gruidae), their distribution in sub-Saharan Africa is. A distinction is made between two subspecies, which differ only slightly in the formation of the bare clock disks.
The South African Crowned Crane is closely related to the Crowned Crane ( B. pavonina ), from which it was not differentiated in terms of species rank for a long time. Like all cranes, the crowned crane has a striking courtship dance in which it spreads its wings wide.
Appearance
It stands out due to its straw-colored "feather crown" and the velvety feather bulge on the head and throat. The plumage on the top is slate gray, the underside and the neck are a little lighter gray. The face is bare and white, the flaps of skin on the throat are red. The bill and legs are black. It differs from the (black-necked) crowned crane ( B. pavonina ) by the light gray neck plumage and the large, clearly visible red wattles.
Habitat and Distribution
The South African Crowned Crane is found in East Africa , in the subspecies B. r. gibbericeps , and native to southern Africa . It can be observed , for example, in the Republic of South Africa in the Transvaal , in western Natal and in the eastern tip of the Eastern Cape . It can be found in swamp areas, in marshland as well as in tree savannahs and in cultivated land.
Danger
This species is endangered by the loss of wetlands and the breeding areas there, caused for example by dry periods, drainage and overgrazing, as well as by extensive use of pesticides. The extraction of the groundwater and the construction of dams should also be mentioned here.
In addition, the South African crowned crane is trapped, hunted and sold. Its eggs are often collected. In South Africa, for example, he is also persecuted because he uses agricultural land for foraging. The IUCN lists the South African crowned crane as critically endangered.
Trivia
The South African crowned crane is depicted in the national coat of arms of Uganda .
literature
- Mark Cocker, David Tipling: Birds and People . Jonathan Cape, London 2013, ISBN 978-0-2240-8174-0 .
- W. Grummt , H. Strehlow (Ed.): Zoo animal keeping birds. Verlag Harri Deutsch, Frankfurt am Main 2009, ISBN 978-3-8171-1636-2 .
Web links
- Balearica regulorum in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed January 31 of 2009.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings on Balearica regulorum in the Internet Bird Collection
Single receipts
- ↑ W. Grummt, H. Strehlow (Ed.): Zoo animal keeping birds . P. 263.
- ^ BirdLife International. 2016. Balearica regulorum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22692046A93334893. doi : 10.2305 / IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22692046A93334893.en
- ↑ Mark Cocker, David Tipling: Birds and People . P. 184