East African Crowned Crane

The East African Crowned Crane’s name comes from the bristle-like, golden feathers on top of their heads. They are the only crane species capable of roosting in trees because of a large prehensile toe that allows them to grip branches.
Crowned Cranes are famous for their courtship. This courtship involves a mating dance between the male and female. The dance consists of bobbing, flapping wings, and swinging circles around each other. A successful pair of mated crowned cranes stay together for almost a year. After that, the young often form their own flock. The male is the defender of the pair, calling a loud warning to other cranes in his territory.
Crowned Cranes live in the Congo, through Uganda to Kenya and Eastern South Africa. Their food consist of insects, seeds and small animals such as lizards. They can live up to 20 years and grow between 40-43 inches in length. The average weight for these cranes is 6 1/2 to 9lbs.