Blue crane

Physical features

• Blue cranes stand about three-and-a-half to four feet (110–120 cm) in height and weigh about ten pounds (4.5–5.1 kg). Wingspan is about six to seven feet (180–210 cm).

• They are a uniform bluish gray, becoming darker on the upper neck. The crown is white. Their feathers are longer and thicker along the lower half of the head and nape, giving them a cobra-like appearance.

• The tail is black or nearly black and is hidden under the ornamental secondary wing feathers that drag behind the crane.

Diet: Omnivore

• Wild – Small plant bulbs, seeds, roots, and animals such as insects (especially grasshoppers), small reptiles, frogs, fish, crustaceans and small mammals

• Zoo – Grain mix, crickets, mealworms, and peanuts

Reproduction

• Blue cranes mate only once a year during the summer months.

• During breeding season, they isolate in their territories with their mate away from other blue cranes.

• The nest is often built in pastures, unplanted fields, or in recently harvested crop fields. Breeding sites are used year after year if the birds are not disturbed.

• A clutch of one or two eggs is laid. Both the male and female incubate the eggs until they hatch in about 30 days. The chicks fledge (take their first flight) about three to five months after hatching.

• Once the chicks have matured, the adults and their respective offspring will form flocks with other groups in the vicinity. These flocks can range from 50 to 300 cranes and they move away from the breeding sites during the winter months. The offspring will then seek a mate from within the flock.

• Blue cranes remain monogamous throughout their lifetime.

Interpretive Information

• The blue crane is the national bird of South Africa. They are also known as Stanley cranes.

• Blue cranes can fly up to 37-43 miles per hour (60–70 km per hour).

• They have a distinct call that is loud, raspy and pulsed at a fairly low pitch.

• All cranes are diurnal in their activities. During the day they forage, rest, preen, socialize with the flock during the winter months and attend to their young during breeding season. At night during the breeding season, cranes protect their nest and young from predators and other dangers.

• In nonbreeding season, cranes roost and socialize in large flocks at roosting sites in ponds, swamps etc. During the breeding season they only roost with their mate at the breeding site.

• Dancing is a common activity among most cranes and it serves to help the young to develop physically and behaviorally. Mates dance to reinforce pair bonding and single birds dance to promote pair formation. Some dances during courtship have been observed to last anywhere from 30 minutes to as long as four hours. Some birds will even dance as a form of displacement behavior when they are nervous.

Updated June 2024