Black crowned-crane  (Balearica pavonina)

Both subspecies of the black crowned-crane are declining in numbers (7) due to the loss, transformation and degradation of their habitat (6). In recent decades, wetlands and grasslands throughout the crane's range have been devastated by drought, the development and expansion of intensive agriculture, and by large scale dam, drainage and irrigation projects (2) (6). Drought and population growth has forced people to encroach onto suitable crane habitat, where wetlands are drained to expand agricultural production, and pesticides are increasingly being used which may result in the accumulation of toxins in the cranes, or reduce the amount of prey available for them (6). This has resulted in the total or near extirpation of this species in some countries; a tiny number of black crowned-cranes remain in Nigeria, and none have been recorded in Sierra Leone since the 1930s (2) (6). In some areas, the threat of habitat loss is compounded by hunting of this species (2). In certain regions, locals capture black crowned-crane chicks, or take eggs and raise the young captivity (4), and they are also trapped for the legal international market (1) (6). In Chad, Nigeria and other countries, this bird is also captured for food (6)

The black crowned-crane is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which means that any trade in this species should be carefully regulated (3). Black crowned-cranes are legally protected in most countries where they occur, although this protection is often ineffective (6), and their habitats are protected within several National Parks, such as Waza National Park, northern Cameroon and Djoudj National Park, Senegal. In 1992 the black crowned-crane working group was established, leading to the first ever range-wide surveys of the species being undertaken in 2000-2001, which was coordinated among 20 African nations (8). A number of black crowned-cranes are kept in captivity worldwide, although they are moderately difficult to keep in captivity and do not breed predictably. The potential for reintroduction programmes has been discussed, and one experimental release took place in Nigeria in 1992 (6). A number of further conservation actions have been recommended for the black crowned-crane, including public awareness campaigns on the conservation of wetlands and cranes, transferring this species from Appendix II to I of CITES, and undertaking further research and monitoring (6) (8).