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Meet the Crowned Crane, Uganda’s national bird and a true feathered fashion icon. With a striking crown of golden feathers, this bird seems always ready for a royal parade. The red pouches on its neck that flare out like a fashionable collar, snow-white cheeks, long gray neck and multi-colored body complete their look, featuring the Crowned Crane the most glamorous bird you are likely to see on safari or even in populated countryside. Get away, peacocks — there’s a new superstar in town! Officially known as Balearica regulorum, this elegant creature roams Uganda, Kenya and other East African countries. These cranes are unique not only in appearance. Their diet is beyond any gourmet’s dream. They chew leaves, seeds, insects and even small critters such as frogs and snakes. They spend their days on an endless food tour and their nights sleeping in trees, dreaming of tomorrow. Crowned cranes are also known for their dancing. During the breeding season, they stage up a show that would make the opera and ballet theaters jealous. They spread their wings, jump and have fun. But these birds don’t need a special accasion to go to the party – they dance all year round. Family life in the crane world is cute. When it comes to love, crested cranes try to be monogamous. Once they find their loved one, they stick together for the rest of their lives. You’ll often see them in pairs, whether they’re feeding by the river or standing on one leg, looking majestic and zen. In river and lake floodplains, as well as in swamps, flocks of 30 to 150 birds can be found. In Uganda, cranes breed at any time of the year, but most often this occurs during the dry season. The pair builds large nest made of tall grass. The female lays 2 to 5 gray-white eggs. Both partners take turns sharing parental duties, incubating the eggs for 28 to 31 days and raising the chicks ready to run and dance from the very hatching. Crowned cranes live 22 years on average. Despite their fabulous lifestyle, crowned cranes face serious challenges due to human encroachment into their habitat. From individuals in the 1970’s to less than today, their population has declined in Uganda and great efforts are being made now-a-days to conserve them. So, the next time you see a crested crane, remember that they are more than just beautiful dancers — they are a symbol of resilience and beauty that deserves our protection. #уганда #африка
