Description Pictures taken in Artis Zoo, Amsterdam - Nederlands Balearica pavonina en : Black crowned crane fr : Grue couronnée
Date May 2008
Source personal picture
Author Fabienkhan https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fabienkhan
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Artis_black_crowned_crane1.jpg

The black crowned crane (Balearica pavonina) is a bird in the crane family Gruidae. It occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although in nests in somewhat wetter habitats. There are two subspecies: Balearica pavonina pavonina in the west and the more numerous Balearica pavonina ceciliae in east Africa. This species and the closely related grey crowned crane, Balearica regulorum, which prefers wetter habitats for foraging, are the only cranes that can nest in trees. This habit, amongst other things, is a reason the relatively small Balearica cranes are believed to closely resemble the ancestral members of the Gruidae. It is about 1 m long, has a 1.87 m wingspan and weighs about 3.6 kg. Order: Gruiformes, Family: Gruidae.