Free Teacher Resources
A blue-gray blue crane with long trailing wing feathers walking on rocky ground.
Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Blue Crane

Anthropoides paradiseus

The national bird of South Africa, a blue-gray crane of grasslands famous for courtship dances that can last for hours.

🪿 Wading Birds
Checking teacher reviews…
Teacher? Sign in to review this page →Report a mistake

About the Blue Crane

Blue cranes live in open grasslands and semi-deserts of southern Africa, mostly in South Africa, with a small group in Namibia. They are bluish-gray with a white crown, and the long, thick feathers on the lower head and neck give them a cobra-like look. Their wingspan can reach about 7 feet. They walk through the grass hunting insects and frogs and eating seeds.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Anthropoides paradiseus[1]
Size
Wingspan up to about 7 feet.[1]
Lifespan
Can live more than 40 years in the wild.[1]
Diet
Omnivore. Insects, frogs and seeds.[1]
Habitat
Open grasslands and semi-deserts, including farm fields.[1]
Where it lives
Southern Africa, mainly South Africa, plus a small population in Namibia.[1]
Group life
Pairs hold territories when breeding; large flocks the rest of the year.[1]
Babies
One or two eggs.[1]
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).[2]

Fun facts

  • The blue crane is the national bird of South Africa.[1]
  • A blue crane courtship dance can last up to four hours.[1]
  • Feathers on its head and neck give the blue crane a cobra-like look.[1]

Vocabulary

courtship
Behavior animals use to attract a mate.
roost
To rest or sleep, often in a group, at a safe spot.
national bird
A bird chosen as a symbol of a country.
wingspan
The distance from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other.
vulnerable
A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Zoo Atlanta. “Blue Crane.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/blue-crane/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Anthropoides paradiseus (Blue Crane).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22692109/177514877 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Wading Birds

A pink American flamingo standing in dark blue water.American FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruberThe brightest-colored flamingo, also called the Caribbean flamingo, that filter-feeds with its bill upside down.A white cattle egret with buff-orange breeding feathers on its head perched on a branch.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.A pink Chilean flamingo wading and feeding in shallow water.Chilean FlamingoPhoenicopterus chilensisA pink flamingo of the high, cold salt flats of the southern Andes that feeds with its head upside down.A grey crowned crane with a golden crown of feathers walking in grass.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.A brown hamerkop with a hammer-shaped head perched on a dead tree stump.HamerkopScopus umbrettaA brown African wading bird with a hammer-shaped head that builds the biggest nest of any bird in Africa.A marabou stork with a bald pinkish head, a hanging throat pouch and dark wings standing on grass.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.A bright red scarlet ibis with a long curved bill standing on a log.Scarlet IbisEudocimus ruberA bright red wading bird of northern South America that feeds mostly on crayfish and small crabs.A tall wattled crane with a white neck and gray wings standing on grass.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.A white stork with black wing feathers and a red bill walking in grass.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.