(Picture of perched birds added. Distribution expanded. References) |
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*Face is feathered and buffy | *Face is feathered and buffy | ||
*Crown is spiky and golden buff. | *Crown is spiky and golden buff. | ||
| + | ====Similar Species==== | ||
| + | [[Grey Crowned-Crane]] | ||
==Distribution== | ==Distribution== | ||
Sub-Saharan [[Africa]]:<br /> | Sub-Saharan [[Africa]]:<br /> | ||
Revision as of 18:29, 6 July 2010
- Balearica pavonina
Identification
Adult
- Sexes similar
- 104cm
- Mostly black body
- White upper and under wing coverts
- crown of stiff golden feathers
- Red and white cheek patches
West African subspecies
- Lower half of the cheek patch is red
Sudan subspecies
- The red extends into the upper half of the cheek patch.
- Gular sac under the chin is small and dark. The gular sac is similar to a wattle, except that it can be inflated.
- Legs, toes, and bill are black
Juveniles:
- Blackish, upper body feathers are edged rufous
- Lower body feathers are sandy buff
- Brown nape
- Face is feathered and buffy
- Crown is spiky and golden buff.
Similar Species
Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa:
Western Africa: Mauritania, Senegambia, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo (Eastern part), Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
- B. p. pavonina - Senegambia to Lake Chad
- B. p. ceciliae - Chad to Ethiopia and Kenya.
Habitat
Freshwater marshes, wetter grasslands, and the edges of water bodies.
Behaviour
Breeding
Its circular nest platform is built from grasses and sedges within or along the edges of densely vegetated wetlands. 2-5 eggs are laid and incubated by both sexes for 28-31 days.
Diet
The diet includes tips of grasses, seeds, insects, and other invertebrates, and small vertebrates.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Avibase
- International Crane Foundation
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black Crowned Crane. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 7 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black_Crowned_Crane
