The spectacular looking Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum), initially, in name at least, takes a little explaining. It is not a ‘grey-crowned’ crane but is in fact a grey crane with a crown! In some parts it is known, maybe more aptly, as the ‘golden-crested’ crane, along with several other names in others. This is the closest there is at present to a national bird of Tanzania – it is listed as the ‘national bird of National symbols of Tanzania’! It is also named as the national bird of Uganda. This bird is predominantly only found in the south eastern parts of Africa from Kenya down to South Africa and, primarily due to habitat loss over the last 25 years, is considered an ‘endangered’ species.
