CRESTED CRANE THE UGANDA’S NATIONAL BIRD
Crested Crane : Fun Facts About Uganda’s National Bird : Balearica regulorum is the scientific name for the crested crane, sometimes known as the grey crowned crane. It is an exceptionally beautiful bird with an array of colors and a highly intriguing manner of existence. The Grey-crowned Crane has two subspecies: the crested crane, a species of B. r. gibbericeps found in East Africa.This is found throughout East Africa, particularly in Kenya and Uganda, as well as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern regions. The Southern regions of Angola and South Africa are home to the B. r. regulorum, also known as the South African crowned crane.
UGANDA’S NATIONAL BIRD
Uganda reveres and legally protects the grey-crowned crane as its national bird. Even young children know it as a sacred national icon they must revere.
In 1893, Sir Frederick Jackson, then Uganda’s governor, chose this bird as the Union Jack’s emblem. His Majesty George V of England then approved its insertion on flags flown by the Governor of Uganda. Because of its beauty and modest nature, the crested crane still serves as Uganda’s national bird. It can be seen on all official state documents and the coat of arms.
PHYSICAL LOOK
The grey-crowned crane is a large bird that often measures 3 feet in height. That is almost one meter tall. An average crested crane weighs 3, 5 kilos. A crested crane’s head has a velvety black forehead, a crown that is yellowish (nearly golden), red throat pouches that inflate, and white sides. A straight, black beak completes the look.
Its long, greyish neck falls back to its body’s predominant colors of black, white, red, and yellow. Long and slender legs were designed to balance the body. On your birding trip to Uganda, it is likely to be the most colorful and intriguing bird you will observe.
NATURAL HABITAT
Only certain regions of Eastern and Southern Africa are home to the crested crane. Although it prefers to nest close to moist regions like river banks and marshes, it is typically found in dry, open locations.
FOOD AND DIET
In terms of diet, the crested crane is omnivorous. It can therefore consume both plants and animals as food. Grass, seeds, insects, worms, rodents, flies, grasshoppers, small fish, and even snakes are all examples of plant life.
In addition to a variety of other foods, the crested crane favors eating grass and sedge seeds. They spend their entire time searching for food, sleeping in the trees at night.
SOCIAL HABITS
The dance of the Crested Crane is well recognized. At this point, it extends its magnificent wings and begins to skip. The wings spread to dramatically show how beautifully the colors merge together despite the lack of much of a pattern. Although the feathers are white, the top of the wings are black. They most frequently dance during the breeding season, though they can do so at any time of the year.It is truly a show to witness many of them do the dance
The crested crane may rest or stand on one foot while holding the other close to its body, while it is not moving about looking for food. In comparison to Black-crowned Cranes, it has a distinctive communication style. The crested crane’s cry is similar to a honking sound.
The crested crane is a monogamous species in terms of social behavior; it has a single lifelong Companion. The male crested crane is always slightly bigger than the female, even though you might not be able to discern the difference.
If they are not feeding on the river banks, you could frequently observe them in pairs. Around wetlands, flocks of 30 to 150 birds are common.
The Crested Crane can breed and produce throughout the year in Uganda, however this happens most frequently during the dry seasons. Crane couples use the long swamp grass and other vegetation to build huge nests.
The female lays two to five dirty-white eggs. Between 28 and 31 days, each spouse incubates them alternately. The infants are referred to as chicks. The crested crane’s young can begin running, as soon as they are born. An average lifespan of 22 years is possible for crested cranes.
CONSERVATION STATUS
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN Redlist) has the grey-crowned crane on its endangered species list. According to recent studies, the number of these birds is steadily declining, and they may soon become critically endangered.
The original sentence is already in the active voice. The subject, “around 22,000 mature birds,” performs the action of “making up” the population. Compared to the 1970s, Uganda had a lot less of this. Less than 10 000 grey-crowned cranes were present in Uganda in 2011, compared to 70,000 in the 1970s. The dwindling natural habitat is one of the main causes of the declining population. The provided sentence is already in the active voice. The subject, “crested cranes,” is performing the action of “prospering.
Wetlands have been under a lot of strain from human activities, such as agriculture and urbanization, as a result of the rapid increase in the population. The crested crane’s native habitat has significantly diminished as a result..
