They roost and breed in wetland areas if these are available, some individuals preferring to nest in arable land and pastureland. Courtship involves a dance where the male bird chases the female, interspersed with bows, leaps and bouts of calling. Are traditional healers contributing to the decline of Blue Cranes in Namibia? Point of Rental’s employee led charitable donation group ‘Point the Way’ has gained US 501 charity status. Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub, 2. The 510 ton load 155 feet from the hub was 97% of the next highest safe lift reading on the reference
The blue crane is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. There is a strict hierarchy in groups, with the larger adult males being dominant.
Blue cranes migrate locally, moving with their chicks in autumn and winter to lower elevations. Pair-formation amongst groups often starts in October, beginning with both potential parents running in circles with each other. The blue crane (Grus paradisea), also known as the Stanley crane and the paradise crane, is the national bird of South Africa. The blue crane is culturally significant to the Xhosa people, who call it indwe (flag). Their feet and legs are black. As humans continue to increase in number, agricultural expansion, persecution, disturbance, and the grazing of livestock also intensifies, and these threats will probably become worse. The bill is ochre to greyish, with a pink tinge.
These birds breed at high elevations in dry grasslands where there is less chance of disturbance. Flocking occurs throughout the year and is more common in winter when large flocks are formed, numbering several hundred birds. Small animals such as crabs, snails, frogs, small lizards and snakes may supplement the diet, with such protein-rich food often being broken down and fed to the young. Both males and females will incubate, with the male often incubating at night and, during the day, defending the nest territory while the female incubates. This species’ numbers are stable currently but it is classified as vulnerable (VU) on the list of threatened species. The eggs are laid on bare ground or in the grass. They are also regularly insectivorous, feeding on numerous, sizeable insects such as grasshoppers.
It has head feathers that can be erect when it is excited or being aggressive.
The long wingtip feathers which trail to the ground. This is the only portion of its range where the population is increasing, though they still face threats such as poisoning in the region. Blue Crane on The IUCN Red List site -, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22692109/0. The Blue crane is South Africas national bird. Of the 15 species of crane, the blue crane has the most restricted distribution of all. The male then engages in a "dance" flings various objects in the air and then jumps. The blue crane is a tall, ground-dwelling bird, but is fairly small by the standards of the crane family. In a great majority of known nests, two eggs are laid (rarely 1 or 3). [2][3][4] Among standard measurements, the wing chord measures 51.4–59 cm (20.2–23.2 in), the exposed culmen measures 8–10 cm (3.1–3.9 in) and the tarsus measures 20.5–25.2 cm (8.1–9.9 in). There is a small breeding population in and around the area of the Etosha Pan in northern Namibia. The population in the northern Free State, Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West Province has declined by up to 90%. The species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. 26 000 individuals remain, it began a sudden population decline from around 1980 and is now classified as vulnerable. They generally move to lower altitudes in autumn and winter. The juvenile is a pale gray color, and does not have the elongated tertial feathers. This crane flies powerfully after running at take off, performing steady, strong beats with its wings, and alighting with dangling legs. [8], Because of the association with warriors and heroism, the Isitwalandwe Medal was created to honour those who had "made an outstanding contribution and sacrifice to the liberation struggle", that is, those who resisted the apartheid regime in South Africa (1949−1991) in various ways. They overlap in range with 3 other crane species but interactions with these species and other "large wader" type birds are not known. Blue cranes are birds of the dry grassy uplands, usually the pastured grasses of hills, valleys, and plains with a few scattered trees. After the dance, mating commences in around two weeks. In the last two decades, the blue crane has largely disappeared from the Eastern Cape, Lesotho, and Swaziland. [7] Traditionally, when a man distinguished himself in battle or otherwise, he was often decorated by a chief with blue crane feathers in a ceremony called ukundzabela. The Blue crane is South Africas national bird. They typically forage in pairs or small family groups during the day. From the crown to the lores, the plumage is distinctly lighter, sometimes whitish. Males always lift up their wings over their backs during the unison calling, while females keep their wings folded at their sides. This crane is pale blue-gray in color becoming darker on the upper head, neck and nape. Figure 1a & 1b - Big Blue Crane components diagrams . The Big Blue was a Lampson LTL-1500 Transi-Lift heavy lift crawler crane that collapsed on July 14, 1999, killing three iron workers. [8], The blue crane is also the national bird of South Africa. On a frigid afternoon in July of 1999 occurred the crane accident of all crane accidents.
The South African government has stepped up legal protection for the blue crane. It is 100–120 cm (3 ft 3 in–3 ft 11 in) tall, with a wingspan of 180–200 cm (5 ft 11 in–6 ft 7 in) and weighs 3.6–6.2 kg (7.9–13.7 lb). The incubation stage lasts around 30 days. Though historically found in areas of low human disturbance, the blue crane is currently thriving in the highly transformed agricultural areas of the Western Cape. They are altitudinal migrants, generally nesting in the lower grasslands of an elevation of around 1,300 to 2,000 m and moving down to lower altitudes for winter. Crane operators working on the Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI were moving the largest piece of rooftop for the stadium, estimated at 423 tons. Investigators are looking into whether the Lampson Transi-Lift 1500 Series crane, known as "Big Blue," toppled into Miller Park because of wind, a crane failure or some other cause. The chicks fledge in the age of 3–5 months. From September to February is the usual nesting time, with the typical nesting site being at high elevations amongst secluded grassland. The three men who died, Wischer, DeGrave and Starr were working from a basket suspended from a crane, around 60 metres up and were hit by falling debris.