| Photo Information |
Copyright: Laurent GLANDON (lglandon)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 182 W: 27 N: 192]](https://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-s-g.gif) (1334) |
| Genre: Animals |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2005-09-25 |
| Categories: Birds |
| Camera: Canon 20D, Canon 70-200 2.8 IS, Digital ISO 200 |
| Exposure: f/8, 1/60 seconds |
| Details: Tripod: Yes (Fill) Flash: Yes |
| More Photo Info: [view] |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2005-09-27 4:50 |
| Viewed: 4319 |
| Points: 8 |
|
| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Grue couronnée - Balearica pavonina - Black Crowned-Crane
First info : After 45 days without my 20D ... time it tooks to Canon to clean it! I'm very happy to share my first shot!
Black Crowned Crane
Identification
The body of the Black Crowned Crane is mostly black, with distinctive white upper and under wing coverts. The head is topped with a crown of stiff golden feathers. Cheek patches are red and white. The subspecies are most easily distinguished by the differences in the coloration of their cheek patches. In the West African subspecies, the lower half of the cheek patch is red; in the Sudan subspecies, the red extends into the upper half of the cheek patch. The gular sac under the chin is small and dark. The gular sac is similar to a wattle, except that it can be inflated. Legs, toes, and bill are black. All crowned cranes have the ability to perch because their long hind toe (halux) allows for grasping. Males and females are virtually indistinguishable, although males tend to be slightly larger.
Juveniles are generally blackish, the upper body feathers are edged with rufous, and the lower body feathers are sandy buff. The nape is brown, the face is feathered and buffy, and the crown is spiky and golden buff.
Habitat & Ecology:
Black Crowned Cranes use both wet and dry open habitats, but prefer freshwater marshes, wetter grasslands, and the edges of water bodies. Black Crowned Cranes are considered both year-round residents and local migrants, flocking during the dry non-breeding season. Black Crowned Cranes begin their unison display in varied ways. The main vocalization is a booming call where the crane will inflate the gular sac underneath its chin and push the air out. This calling is done with the head laid against the top of the neck and then tilted back. The crane also produces peculiar honks that are quite different from the loud, bugling calls of other crane species that have much longer coiled tracheas. All cranes engage in dancing, which includes various behaviors such as head pumping, bowing, jumping, running, stick or grass tossing, and wing flapping. Dancing can occur at any age and is commonly associated with courtship, however, it is generally believed to be a normal part of motor development for crane s and can serve to thwart aggression, relieve tension, and strengthen the pair bond.
PP - Raw to jpg / Crop / Frame |
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