An African crane with a golden crown of stiff feathers. Adults have a mainly grey body and prominent white cheeks.
A red pouch hangs beneath the chin, and the bill and legs are dark. The mainly white wings also include brown and golden feathers.
Grey Crowned Cranes eat wild foods and crops across eastern and southern Africa. Their use of agricultural landscapes makes cooperation with nearby communities central to conservation.
Around Rwanda’s Rugezi Marsh, ICF and partners support Napier grass, avocado and mushroom cultivation and fuel-saving stoves. These measures link daily livelihoods with reduced wetland pressure.
RWCA works with farmers and landowners to protect breeding sites and roost trees. Community champions visit wetlands and record cranes and environmental changes.
IUCN Red List (conservation institution account) · Endangered · Global
Wetland degradation, trade-driven capture of birds and eggs, poisoning and power-line collisions are threats. Conservation combines community protection of breeding sites with efforts to reduce wild capture and trade.