Blue Crane

Description:

The Blue Crane is a tall, ground-dwelling bird, but is fairly small by the standards of the crane family. It is 100–120 cm (3 ft 3 in–3 ft 10 in) tall, with a wingspan of 180–200 cm (5 ft 10 in–6 ft 7 in) and weighs 3.6–6.2 kg (7.9–14 lb).[1][2][3] Among standard measurements, the wing chord measures 51.4–59 cm (20.2–23 in), the exposed culmen measures 8–10 cm (3.1–3.9 in) and the tarsus measures 20.5–25.2 cm (8.1–9.9 in). This crane is pale blue-gray in colour becoming darker on the upper head, neck and nape. From the crown to the lores, the plumage is distinctly lighter, sometimes whitish. The bill is ochre to grayish, with a pink tinge. The long wingtip feathers which trail to the ground. The primaries are black to slate gray, with dark coverts and blackish on the secondaries. Unlike most cranes, it has a relatively large head and a proportionately thin neck. Juveniles are similar but slightly lighter, with tawny coloration on the head, and no long wing plumes.

Habitat:

Blue Cranes are birds of the dry grassy uplands, usually the pastured grasses of hills, valleys, and plains with a few scattered trees. They prefer areas in the nesting season that have access to both upland and wetland areas, though they feed almost entirely in dry areas. They are altitudinal migrants, generally nesting in the lower grasslands of an elevation of around 1,300 to 2,000 m and moving down to lower altitudes for winter. Although they can wander into agricultural areas, these cranes are most common in areas where disturbance by humans and their cattle is relatively low.