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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

Sources

  1. [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. [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.

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