Black Crowned-Crane

The Black Crowned-Crane closely resembles its eastern and southern relative, the Grey Crowned-Crane, but is distinguished by its black (rather than grey) neck. It has the same spectacular crown of stiff, golden bristle feathers, a pale grey body, black-and-white wing pattern, and vivid red and white cheek patches with a small throat wattle.

Like other crowned cranes, it retains the ancestral ability to perch in trees, a trait linked to its relatively long hind toe, distinguishing crowned cranes from all other living crane species.

Key field marks

• Golden crown of stiff bristle feathers
• Black neck (compared to the grey neck of the Grey Crowned-Crane)
• Pale grey body and black-and-white patterned wings
• White cheek patch with red patch above and red throat wattle

Similar species

The Grey Crowned-Crane is nearly identical apart from its grey (not black) neck, and the two species occupy separate, non-overlapping ranges in Africa. No other crane shares the distinctive golden crown.

Black Crowned-Cranes inhabit wetlands, floodplains, and adjacent savanna and farmland across West and Central Africa, from Senegal and the Sahel region east to South Sudan and Ethiopia, generally favoring areas with seasonally flooded grasslands.

The species has experienced significant declines due to wetland drainage, habitat degradation, and illegal capture for the live bird trade, and is currently classified as Vulnerable, with the West African population considered especially at risk.

Black Crowned-Cranes forage in grasslands and wetland margins for seeds, insects, and small vertebrates, often walking through shallow water or short grass, and can form large flocks outside the breeding season.

They produce a distinctive booming call using an inflatable red throat pouch and perform elaborate dancing displays during courtship, similar to the Grey Crowned-Crane. They commonly roost in trees at night and build nests of trampled vegetation in wetlands, typically laying 2-4 eggs, with both parents sharing incubation and chick care.