Bird Album
Blue Crane
Grus paradisea (Lichtenstein, AAH, 1793)
4.5 kgWeight
Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Namibia, Eswatini
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Namibia, Eswatini
Blue Crane has been recorded at 40 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- De Hoop Nature ReserveSouth Africa298 records
- Darling Hills/Groote Post RoadSouth Africa204 records
- Wakkerstroom areaSouth Africa204 records
More places
- West Coast NPSouth Africa142 records
- Benfontein NRSouth Africa135 records
- PaardevleiSouth Africa87 records
- Kliphoek Salt PansSouth Africa75 records
- Wakkerstroom Wetland NRSouth Africa59 records
- Midmar Dam – South ShoreSouth Africa58 records
- Wakkerstroom Wetland NR – bridge/causewaySouth Africa55 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
Questions
How big is the Blue Crane?
The Blue Crane weighs around 4.5 kg.
Where does the Blue Crane live?
Its breeding range: Africa: South Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Namibia and Eswatini.
When is the best time to see the Blue Crane?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).
What does the Blue Crane eat?
Main food: Omnivore.
What family is the Blue Crane in?
It belongs to the family Cranes (Gruidae), order Gruiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 4.5 kg
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
More measurements
- Wing
- 556 mm
- Tail
- 232 mm
- Bill
- 101 mm
- Tarsus
- 250 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: South Africa
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Family
- Cranes Gruidae
- Genus
- Grus
Other birds in the genus Grus
Wattled CraneGrus carunculata
Demoiselle CraneGrus virgo
Red-crowned CraneGrus japonensis
Whooping CraneGrus americana
Common CraneGrus grus
Hooded CraneGrus monacha
Black-necked CraneGrus nigricollis
Grey Crowned CraneBalearica regulorum
Black Crowned CraneBalearica pavonina
Siberian CraneLeucogeranus leucogeranus
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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Ron Knight. ↗
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