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Grey-Crowned Crane


Grey-Crowned Crane
Photo Information
Copyright: Jan Hendrik van Rooyen (janhendrik) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 376 W: 64 N: 682] (2370)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-07-24
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 20D, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM
Exposure: f/8, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Gruiformes (Turnalar, Crane-like) [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-07-25 17:26
Viewed: 1218
Points: 28
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Grey-Crowned Crane - Balearica regulorum
The claim to fame of the Grey-Crowned Crane is that it is one of the only cranes to roost in trees and the most primitive crane – it is thought to resemble the many pre-Pliocene fossils from North America and central Asia. "The first crane-like birds, which appeared in the age of dinosaurs, were somewhat similar in body dimensions to a modern crowned crane or its smaller and more aquatic relative, the limpkin" (Matthiessen 2003).
The Grey-Crowned Crane is globally restricted to Africa where the South African population, and the populations of Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia, make up the smaller population of the two subspecies. Within South Africa, this ancient crane has been sighted in the moist, higher rainfall regions of the country. They require a mixture of wetlands and grasslands for summer breeding and foraging although they are increasingly found in man-modified habitats (agricultural lands). The overriding conservation challenge is therefore to develop sustainable management alternatives for their co-existence with agriculture on privately-owned land.
Biological needs
Grey-Crowned Cranes nest within or on the edges of wetlands where they build a strong nest from the tall wetland plants, cleverly concealed from predators and the prying eyes of people. They like to forage in open grasslands adjacent to wetlands where they eat grass seeds, insects and other invertebrates. This generalist feeding strategy has allowed this species to adapt to human settlement better than the Wattled or Blue Cranes and it is regularly now found in this transformed habitat. Unlike other crane species, this crane roosts in trees. Non-migratory, they do move around locally and in the winter months, large flocks of non-breeding Grey-Crowned Cranes can be found dancing and calling before the onset of the summer breeding period. Intensification of agriculture, tourism development and industrialisation are threatening grasslands at a terrifying rate and indigenous species like cranes are being forced into smaller territories. Wetlands also are alarmingly threatened by human impacts and forcing the Grey-Crowned Crane into populated areas where danger lurks.
Breeding
Grey-Crowned Cranes also reach maturity at the age of three to four years and once they have found a mate, they usually lay 2 – 3 large smooth eggs in a wetland nest surrounded by tall reeds, secluded from predators. These spring and summer breeders incubate their eggs for about 30 days and take their chicks out onto a nursery area of flattened reeds before they venture into the real world to forage. Chicks fledge at 3 – 4 months and leave their parents when almost a year old to join one of the non-breeding flocks where they look for a mate.
Source: Grey-Crowned Crane
AndyB, TAZ, carper, radz, gerhardt, nixpix, electra, bedford67, liquidsunshine, vanderschelden has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To gerhardt: Thanks for the constructive criticismjanhendrik 2 07-26 11:56
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • zakiwi Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 154 W: 20 N: 274] (1309)
  • [2005-07-25 17:41]

Hey Jan,

Very regal looking shot. Well done

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1676 W: 5 N: 2144] (11866)
  • [2005-07-25 22:36]

Belle prise de vue sur cet oiseau, la netteté et le regard sont très biens.

Félicitations !1

Beautiful picture, Jan Hendrik.
I think you have got all right here. Well composed, nice colours, good exposure and very good details.
Excellent work.

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1592 W: 32 N: 1361] (3978)
  • [2005-07-26 2:17]

A beautiful capture.
Excellent detail and exposure,superb colours & clarity.
Great work,well done.

TFS

very nice one Jan Hendrik,
beautiful head with fantastic colours and good details the pov is exelent and the dof is great, very good job,
gr. Jaap

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2395 W: 50 N: 3190] (10896)
  • [2005-07-26 3:34]

Wonderful and interesting portrait for this superb bird ! Composition, colors, details, sharpness and note are great ! Thanks for sharing Jan.

  • Great 
  • radz Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 601 W: 11 N: 599] (3161)
  • [2005-07-26 4:46]

beautiful hairdo!Liked the composition&details are good.

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3065 W: 231 N: 5834] (19602)
  • [2005-07-26 10:01]

Beautiful shot of the crane, Jan Hendrik. Very sharp details, perfect exposure, gorgeous colors, excellent POV and composition. Congratulations and TFS. ; )

The details of the greys do come out very nicely. Its tack sharp and well composed. The whites borders on too hot but not distracting. I love these birds. :) The note makes an interesting read too. TFS.

Another cracker Jan Hendrik. These birds are so impressive but can look quite ordinary. You have done well to bring out all the colour and show the feather patterns inthe grey. Do you have any others of this specimen? Just thinking a slight change of angle might have eliminated the only downfall in the background at the bottom left. Good note too. Really well done, Rob

Hi Jan Hendrik,
Great Portrait! Wonderful sharp and colourful. Good job.

Hi Jan Hendrik,
Very nice shot! This crane could compete with the beautiful ladies which are shown on the racecourses with their becoming hats ;-)
Composition, sharp details and colours are perfect. Well done!
TFS, cordially,
Jean-Patrick

Very good portrait Jan,
The exposure is nicely handled, showing the details very clear and sharp. Good DOF and POV. Great colours and well composed.
Thanks for sharing, have a good weekend.

Hello Jan Hendrik,
Very good image again technically spoken. However the photo is also a beauty (as always).
Maybe a nit is the background at the bottom; difficult to edit (cloning or so...); guess you are right to leave it like that. I'm not entitled to mention it though 'cause the image is just great.
TFS
Annick

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