Blue crane  (Grus paradisea)

The blue crane has the most restricted distribution of the 15 crane species (7). They are endemic to southern Africa, with 99% of the population occurring in South Africa (8). There are also small and declining breeding populations in northern Namibia (comprising of about 60 birds) and western Swaziland (just 12 birds) (2). This crane occurs as an occasional vagrant in northwestern Cape Province, northern Transvaal, Lesotho and Botswana (8). As recently as 1980, this species was considered to be healthy and not threatened (8). However, In South Africa, the population has declined by 50% since the 1970s (2). Recent estimates put the population at 21,000 birds, but 60-70% of these are non-breeding individuals (2).

This crane breeds in dry grasslands at high elevations where there is less disturbance (6) (7). They may roost and breed in wetlands if available (7) and some individuals prefer to nest in arable and pastureland (2). In autumn and winter they usually move to lower altitudes (7).