Balearica regulorum
Class: Birds
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Gruidae
Length: 1 to 1.2m
Weight: 3 to 4kg
Longevity: 20 years
Habitat:
We nest in open wetlands and grasslands, or in the savannah, in East Africa, from Kenya to South Africa, through Zambia, Angola and Namibia.
Diet:
Our diet is varied, mainly including seeds and insects.
Special features:
We are not migratory birds. Our movements are local and seasonal, dictated by the abundance of food, laying and rainfall. Outside the breeding season, we are gregarious and diurnal birds. On the other hand, once they have laid their eggs, the females do not relax their activity and vigilance during the night.
Reproduction:
Our females lay their eggs in wetlands, very rarely in trees. The nests are circular, built from grass and reeds and reinforced with aquatic plants. The eggs, 1 to 4 in number, are larger than the eggs of other cranes.
Status:
Our species is not currently endangered, but our trade is regulated by the Washington Convention (CITES II).
It measures 90 cm long and weighs 1.3 kg.