| Gruiformes |
| Birds are a very large family of animals, so many, that they are broken down into groups by order, according to the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy- a new and increasingly approved taxonomy based on DNA analysis, as opposed to the older taxonomy, which was more based on appearance, geography, and behavior. |
| Grey (Southern) Crowned Crane |
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Species:
Balearica regulorum Length: 1.2m |
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| We saw a lot of Grey Crowed Cranes in Zambia. The largest flock, by far, was outside South Luangwa National Park, adjacent to the archaeological dig site. I had a lot of time to take photos of this large flock, and we could hear them constantly. |
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| I never really saw them fly off, so these are my best shots of them with their wings spread. You can see they get their names from the golden crown that adorns their heads. | ||
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| The Grey Crowned Crane is capable of nesting on the ground or in trees, due to the construction of it's foot. Along with the Black Crowned Crane, they are the only species capable of nesting in trees. |
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| In this somewhat higher resolution picture, you can see the red sac on their neck, which inflates and is used in making their mating call. |
| This is a close-up shot of the birds in the image above. You can clearly see the red gular sac on their necks, and the golden crown on the crest of their heads. |  |
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We spotted these two cranes in South Luangwa National Park on one of our safari outings in the park. |
