A black crowned crane with a golden feather crown walking on grass. — Photo: Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Black Crowned Crane

Balearica pavonina

A dark West African crane with a golden crown of stiff feathers that roosts in trees and dances when it breeds.

🪿 Wading Birds

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About the Black Crowned Crane

Black crowned cranes, also called West African crowned cranes, stand 3 to 4 feet tall with a 5-foot wingspan and weigh 7 to 8 pounds. Their bodies are mostly black with white wing markings, topped with golden crown feathers. They live in open grasslands, marshes and meadows near water from Chad and Cameroon to Ethiopia and Kenya. They eat grass, seeds and grains, plus invertebrates and roots.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Balearica pavonina^[1]
Size: 3 to 4 feet tall, with a 5-foot wingspan.^[1]
Weight: 7 to 8 pounds.^[1]
Lifespan: About 20 to 25 years.^[1]
Diet: Grass, seeds and grains, plus invertebrates and roots.^[1]
Habitat: Open grasslands, marshes and meadows near lakes and streams.^[1]
Where it lives: West and central Africa, from Chad and Cameroon to Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya.^[1]
Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2024).^[2]

Fun facts

Crowned cranes are the only cranes that roost in trees.^[1]
Dancing cranes can jump up to eight feet in the air.^[1]
In West Africa, the crane is seen as a sign of rain.^[1]

Vocabulary

roost: To rest or sleep on a perch.
crown: A crest of feathers on top of a bird's head.
camouflage: Colors or patterns that help an animal blend in.
wetland: Land that is covered by shallow water some or all of the time.
vulnerable: A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, Nebraska · Hubbard Gorilla ValleySee this area on the zoo's website ↗
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, Nebraska · Simmons Aviary and LagoonSee this area on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. “Black-Crowned Crane.” https://lazoo.org/explore-your-zoo/our-animals/birds/black-crowned-crane/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Balearica pavonina (Black Crowned Crane).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22692039/240627334 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Wading Birds

African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicusA white ibis with a black head and neck that ancient Egyptians honored as a symbol of the god Thoth.African SpoonbillPlatalea albaA pure white African wading bird with a red face and legs and a long, spoon-shaped bill for sweeping up fish.American FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruberThe brightest-colored flamingo, also called the Caribbean flamingo, that filter-feeds with its bill upside down.Blue CraneAnthropoides paradiseusThe national bird of South Africa, a blue-gray crane of grasslands famous for courtship dances that can last for hours.

Cattle EgretBubulcus ibisA small white heron that follows grazing animals to catch the insects they stir up, and has spread from Africa around the world.Chilean FlamingoPhoenicopterus chilensisA pink flamingo of the high, cold salt flats of the southern Andes that feeds with its head upside down.Grey Crowned CraneBalearica regulorum (East African crowned crane: B. r. gibbericeps)An endangered African crane with a crown of stiff golden feathers, shown on the flag of Uganda. Also called the East African crowned crane.Hadada IbisBostrychia hagedashA gray-brown African ibis with shiny green-purple wings, named for its loud "haa-haa-haa-de-dah" call.HamerkopScopus umbrettaA brown African wading bird with a hammer-shaped head that builds the biggest nest of any bird in Africa.Lesser FlamingoPhoeniconaias minorThe world's smallest flamingo, which filters tiny algae from salty lakes and gathers in flocks of tens of thousands.Madagascar Crested IbisLophotibis cristataA forest ibis found only on Madagascar, with a brown body, white wings and a shiny greenish-blue crest.Malagasy Sacred IbisThreskiornis bernieriAn endangered white ibis with a black head and pale blue eyes that lives along the coasts of western Madagascar and Aldabra.

Marabou StorkLeptoptilos crumeniferA huge, bald-headed African stork that feeds mostly on dead animals and often gathers near lakes, rivers, garbage dumps and fishing villages.Northern Bald IbisGeronticus eremitaA glossy black ibis with a bald red head, also called the waldrapp, that was once common in Europe and is now one of the world's rarest birds.Roseate SpoonbillPlatalea ajajaA bright pink wading bird of the Americas that sweeps its spoon-shaped bill through shallow water to catch food.Scarlet IbisEudocimus ruberA bright red wading bird of northern South America that feeds mostly on crayfish and small crabs.Snowy EgretEgretta thulaAn all-white heron of the Americas with a black bill and bright yellow feet, famous for its lacy breeding plumes.Straw-Necked IbisThreskiornis spinicollisAn Australian ibis with straw-like neck feathers and a shiny back, nicknamed the "farmer's friend" for eating grasshoppers.Wattled CraneBugeranus carunculatusA tall African wetland crane with flaps of skin hanging from its chin that shrink when it's nervous and lengthen when it's excited.White StorkCiconia ciconiaA big white-and-black bird with a red bill that breeds in Europe, winters in Africa and inspired the story of storks delivering babies.White-Naped CraneGrus vipio (also called Antigone vipio)A tall gray-and-white crane of East Asian wetlands with a red face and pink legs, famous for its dancing.Yellow-Billed StorkMycteria ibisA tall white African stork with a bright yellow bill and red face that feels for fish and frogs in shallow water.