Grey Crowned Crane
Balearica regulorum
Status:	Near-Threatened
Range:	Southern Africa
Area of occupancy:	9,480 km2
Population estimate in Namibia:	< 50 birds
Population trend:	Stable/declining
Habitat:	Wetland fringes
Threats	Habitat degradation, hunting, trapping

Information on this page is from: Simmons RE & Brown CJ 2006. Birds to watch in Namibia: red, rare and endemic species. National Biodiversity Programme, Windhoek, Namibia

Distribution and abundance

Click to see distribution map

This species is found only in southern Africa, including southern Angola, while the closely related Black Crowned Crane (B. pavonina) is found in West Africa, and East Africa (del Hoyo et al.1996). Some conservationists split this population into West African (B. p. pavonina) and the Sudan Crowned Crane (B. p. cecilae) in East Africa (Williams et al.2003), both of which are threatened.

The Grey Crowned Crane's range in southern Africa is confined to three discrete and highly fragmented populations, the largest of about 2,500 birds is found in east and northeastern South Africa (Allan 1997, McCann 2000, McCann 2003), a smaller fluctuating population is found above 1,000 m asl, in central Zimbabwe, numbering approximately 250 birds (Allan 1997) and in Namibia it is only found in the grasslands north of Etosha, with a few records from the Zambezi and the Okavango Rivers. This population was estimated at less than 50 birds by Brown (1992) in the late 1980s, a time when wide-scale drought may have reduced numbers. The maximum number of birds recorded at any one time during wetland counts in Namibia from 1990 to 2000 is 16 birds from Lake Oponono (W Versfeld, pers obs). It is rarely seen within the borders of Etosha because it prefers the drier grasslands that are associated with wetlands. Consequently it is recorded mainly in wetland counts at the ephemeral freshwater depressions called Lake Oponono north of Etosha, where an average of 10 birds were seen five times between 1994 and 1999 (W Versfeld pers obs), and the nearby Lake Oshituntu, where an average of five birds were seen six times between 1991 and 2000 (W Versfeld pers obs). It has also occurred around Fischer's Pan at the eastern end of the Etosha salt pan, where 1 - 2 birds have been recorded. Most sightings are from April when these ephemeral pans and some grasslands are flooded, and its area of occupancy covers 9,478 km² (Jarvis et al. 2001) - the smallest range of the three cranes in Namibia.

This species' total African population is estimated at 85,000 to 95,000 birds, mainly from Uganda, and Kenya (Archibald & Meine 1996), but the southern African subspecies (B. regulorum regulorum) is variously estimated at 8,000 - 12,000 birds (Dodman 2002) of which the South African portion is estimated at 2,800 birds (Allan 1997). This latter figure may be an under-estimate (McCann 2000).

Ecology

Prefers the grass fringes of wetlands rather than the large tropical wetlands themselves in southern Africa (Maclean 1993, Allan 1997); this explains its absence from the major wetlands of northern Namibia, and the Okavango Delta of Botswana (Allan 1997), where it is seen rarely (McCann 2004). In Namibia it is frequently associated with small pools in grassland, away from larger bodies of water around Lake Oponono, north of Etosha (W Versfeld pers obs).

This species feeds on frogs, reptiles (Maclean 1993), insects that may be disturbed by foot stamping and especially locusts, grasshoppers and crickets. As a generalist it also feeds on seed heads of sedges, and the fresh tops of grasses (Archibald & Meine 1996).

No egg-laying has been recorded in Namibia (Jarvis et al. 2001); elsewhere it begins egg-laying in spring with a peak in December-January in South Africa, and a December-February peak in Zimbabwe (Allan 1997). It nests on the edges of wetlands amongst tall reedy vegetation (McCann 2000). It is not resident in Namibia but appears in January, probably with the seasonal rains, and disappears again around July (Allan 1997).

Threats

It faces widespread degradation of its breeding and feeding habitat elsewhere in southern Africa (McCann 2000). It is also said to suffer from poisoning and from collisions and electrocutions with overhead powerlines (McCann 2000). Grey Crowned Crane populations are thought to be declining everywhere at a rate of 20% in the last three generations (Barnes 2000). Habitat degradation in the vicinity of Lake Oponono and Oshituntu is low at present because human occupation is seasonal. However, there is no protection offered to this species from opportunistic hunters and trappers who bring their cattle to these ephemeral wetlands. Trapping using snares is known to be common in this area, although most are set in trees, not on the ground (W Versfeld pers obs). However, nests, if they occur, would likely be found and destroyed, and given the large flight distance of birds then they may be shot, as are flamingos in this region (W Versfeld pers obs). Deliberate poisoning has not been recorded in Namibia and neither has collision with overhead powerlines. If global climatic changes bring less rainfall to southern Africa (Midgley et al. 2001), then this species, like many wetland species dependent on the flooding of ephemeral wetlands, is likely to be seen less frequently and may decline in population size in southern Africa (Simmons et al. 2004).

Conservation Status

This subspecies (B. regulorum regulorum) is classified as Near-Threatened because of its very small population of less than 50 birds in Namibia. While this would normally qualify it for Critically Endangered status there is no known decline and the figure represents less than 1% of the estimated 8,000 - 12,000 birds in southern Africa. Population may rise as generally low rainfall conditions change. It is not ranked as globally Threatened (Stattersfield & Capper 2000), but it entered the South Africa red data book as Vulnerable (Barnes 2000) and is considered threatened in Moçambique (Parker 1999). This species needs careful determination of population numbers in Namibia as it is Namibia's rarest crane species.

Actions

Research on populations elsewhere in Namibia and on the possibility of birds breeding in the Oponono/Oshituntu lakes region following good rains is required. Hand in hand with research should be direct protection, and the education of local herdsman as to the importance of this area for birds and the collection of snares and baits. To this end a recent (2004) initiative by Namibian conservationists has been the establishment of the Namibia Crane Working Group, and a comprehensive Action Plan. A regular Crane Newsletter and updates on activities are underway (A & M Scott, pers comm), and include surveys, conservation of critical habitat, capacity building activities and crane-related tourism.

References

Allan DG 1997. Crowned Crane In: Harrison JA, Allan DG, Underhill LG, Herremans M, Tree AJ, Parker V & Brown CJ (eds). The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Vol. 1: 316-317. BirdLife South Africa, Johannesburg

Archibald GW & Meine CD 1996. Family Gruidae (Cranes) In del Hoyo J, Elliot A, Sargatal J (eds) Handbook of the birds of the world. Vol 3: 60-89 Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain

Barnes KN (ed) 2000.The Eskom Red data book of birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Del Hoyo J, Elliot A, Sargatal J (eds)1996 Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain

Dodman T 2002. Waterbird population estimates. Wetlands International, Dakar, Senegal

Jarvis AM, Robertson AJ, Brown CJ & Simmons RE 2001. Namibian Avifaunal data base. National Biodiversity Programme, Ministry of Environment & Tourism, Windhoek

McCann KI 2000. Grey Crowned Crane. In: Barnes KN (ed).The Eskom Red data book of birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Pp94-96. Birdlife South Africa, Johannesburg

McCann K 2004. Observations of Grey Crowned Crane in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Indwa 2: 41

Maclean GL 1993. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town

Midgley GF, Rutherford M & Bond WJ 2001. The heat is on. Impacts of climate change on plant diversity in southern Africa. WWF South Africa, Cape Town

Parker V 1999. The Atlas of Birds of Sul do Save, southern Moçambique. Endangered Wildlife Trust and Avian Demography Unit, Johannesburg and Cape Town

Simmons RE, Barnard PE, Dean WRJ, Midgley GF, Thuiller W & Hughes G 2004. Climate change and birds: perspectives and prospects from southern Africa. Ostrich 75: 295-308

Stattersfield AJ & Capper DR (eds) 2000. Threatened Birds of the World. Birdlife International, Cambridge

Williams ETC, Beilfuss R & Dodman T 2003. Status survey and conservation action plan for the Black Crowned Crane Balearica pavonina. International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, Wisconsin

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