Black Crowned Crane

The Black Crowned Crane occupies wetlands and savanna across West and Central Africa's Sahel region, where it fills a similar ecological role to its close relative, the Grey Crowned Crane, found further east and south. The two species share the same striking crown of stiff golden bristle feathers, red facial patch, and bold white-and-chestnut wing pattern, but the Black Crowned Crane shows darker, more blackish feathering on the neck and upper body.

• Wing covert feathers are white, forming a bold patch on the folded wing and in flight, similar to the Grey Crowned Crane.
• Flight feathers are chestnut to reddish-brown, contrasting with the white coverts.
• Neck and upper body feathers are darker grey-black, distinguishing this species from the paler grey neck of the Grey Crowned Crane.
• Crown feathers are stiff, wiry, golden-yellow bristles forming an erect crest, structurally identical to those of the Grey Crowned Crane.
• Distinguish from the Grey Crowned Crane primarily by the darker, more blackish tone of the neck and upper body feathers and by West/Central African range.

Adults have a dark grey to blackish neck and body, white wing coverts, chestnut flight feathers, a stiff golden crest, and a bare red-and-white cheek patch. Sexes look alike. Juveniles are duller and browner overall, with a smaller, less developed crest, gradually acquiring the full adult pattern over their first couple of years. Molt is not sharply seasonal given the species' largely resident habits across its tropical range.

Black Crowned Cranes are found across the Sahel belt of West and Central Africa, inhabiting wetlands, floodplains, and adjacent savanna. Most populations are resident, with local movements tied to seasonal flooding and rainfall patterns rather than long-distance migration; like its close relative, it regularly roosts in trees.

This crane forages on the ground and in shallow wetlands for a varied diet of seeds, grains, insects, and small invertebrates. It nests on the ground in wetland vegetation, laying a small clutch. Its call is a resonant honking sound produced with the aid of an inflatable red throat wattle, similar to the Grey Crowned Crane. Elaborate dancing and jumping displays occur in courtship, and the species' habit of roosting in trees distinguishes its behavior from most other cranes.