Data Zone
Archibald, G.W., Meine, C.D. and Garcia, E.F.J. 2020. Gray Crowned-Crane (Balearica regulorum), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A., and de Juana, E., Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.grccra1.01.
ARKive. 2010. Grey crowned-crane (Balearica regulorum). web page. Available at: http://www.arkive.org/grey-crowned-crane/balearica-regulorum/. (Accessed: 05/08/2013).
Baker, N. 2019. The Grey Crowned Crane in Tanzania - Latest information at June 2019. Tanzania Bird Atlas. (unpublished presentation).
Beilfuss, R. and Morrsion, K. 2012. A new dawn in Rwanda. ICF Bugle 38(3): 1-3.
Beilfuss, R., Dodman, T. and Urban, E.K. 2007. The status of cranes in Africa in 2005. Ostrich 78(2): 175-184.
Bird, J.P., Martin, R., Akçakaya, H.R., Gilroy, J., Burfield, I.J., Garnett, S.G., Symes, A., Taylor, J., Şekercioğlu, Ç.H. and Butchart, S.H.M. 2020. Generation lengths of the world’s birds and their implications for extinction risk. Conservation Biology 34(5): 1252-1261. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13486.
Chemura, A., Nangombe, S.S., Gleixner, S., Chinyoka, S. and Gornott, C. 2022. Changes in Climate Extremes and Their Effect on Maize (Zea mays L.) Suitability Over Southern Africa. Front. Clim. 4: 890210.
Collar, N.J. and Butchart, S.H.M. 2013. Conservation breeding and avian diversity: Chances and challenges. International Zoo Yearbook 48(1): 7-28.
del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. and Sargatal, J. (eds). 1996. Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.
Demmer, C. R., Demmer, S., and McIntyre, T. 2023. Drones as a tool to study and monitor endangered Grey Crowned Cranes (Balearica regulorum): Behavioural responses and recommended guidelines. Ecology and Evolution 14: e10990.
Donald, P.F., Fernando, E., Brown, L., Busana, M., Butchart, S.H.M., Chng, S., Colina, A.d.l., Ferreira, J.M., Jain, A., Jones, V.R., Lapido, R., Malsch, K., McDougall, A., Muccio, C., Nguyen, D., Outhwaite, W., Petrovan, S.O., Stafford, C., Sutherland, W.J., Tallowin, O. and Safford, R. 2024. Assessing the global prevalence of wild birds in trade. Conservation Biology (in press).
Galloway-Griesel, T., Roxburgh, L., Smith, T., McCann, K., Coverdale, B., Craigie, J., … Chetty, K. 2023. Evidence of the effectiveness of conservation interventions from long-term aerial monitoring of three crane species in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Bird Conservation International 33: 1-16.
Hemminger, K., König, H., Månsson, J., Bellingrath-Kimura, S-D., and Nilsson, L. 2022. Winners and losers of land use change: A systematic review of interactions between the world’s crane species (Gruidae) and the agricultural sector. Ecology and Evolution 12: e8719.
Hockey, P.A.R., Dean, W.R.J. and Ryan, P.G. 2005. Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa.
IUCN. 2024. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2024-2. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 22 October 2024).
Kampamba, G. and Pope, A.J. 1996. The conservation management of cranes in Zambia. In: Beilfuss, R. D.; Tarboton, W. R.; Gichuki, N. N. (ed.), Proceedings 1993 African crane and wetland training workshop 8-15 August 1993, Wildlife Training Institute, Maun, Botswana., pp. 249-250. International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, Wisconsin.
Krajewski, C. and King, D. G. 1996. Molecular divergence and phylogeny: Rates and patterns of cytochrome b evolution in cranes. Molecular Biology and Evolution 13(1): 21-30.
Krajewski, C., Sipiorski, J. T. and Anderson, F. E. 2010. Complete mitochondrial genome sequences and the phylogeny of cranes (Gruiformes: Gruidae). The Auk 127(2): 440-452.
Meine, C.D. and Archibald, G.W. 1996. The cranes - status survey and conservation action plan. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, U.K.
Morrison, K. (compiler). 2015. International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum). AEWA Technical Series No. 59, Bonn, Germany.
Morrison, K. 2008. African Crane Trade Project – Mitigation Planning Workshop. In: Morrison, K. (ed.), African Cranes, Wetlands & Communities. Newsletter 2. International Crane Foundation/ Endangered Wildlife Trust Partnership.
Morrison, K. 2009. Trade in Grey (Balearica regulorum) and Black Crowned (Balearica pavonina) Cranes. Report to CITES Animals Committee meeting 20 – 24 April 2009.
Morrison, K. 2014. Securing Grey Crowned Cranes in Africa. ICF Bugle 40(1): 1-3.
Morrison, K.L. and Smith, T. 2015. Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum. In: Taylor, M. R.; Peacock, F.; Wanless, R. M. (ed.), The 2015 Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, pp. 110-112. BirdLife South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Morrison, K.L. and Tim Dodman, T. 2019. Species Review: Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum). In: Mirande, C.M. and Harris, J.T. (eds), Crane Conservation Strategy, pp. 455. International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA.
Nsengimana, O. 2020. Minimum Population Size and Distribution of Grey Crowned Cranes in Rwanda - 4th Annual Aerial and Ground Survey 2020. Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association.
Olupot, W., Mugabe, H., Plumptre, A.J. 2009. Species conservation on human-dominated landscapes: the case of crowned-crane breeding and distribution outside protected areas in Uganda. African Journal of Ecology 48: 119–125.
Raupach, T.H., Martius, O., Allen, J.T. et al. 2021. The effects of climate change on hailstorms. Nat Rev Earth Environ 2(213-226).
Simmons, R.E. 2015. Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum. In: Simmons, R. E.; Brown, C. J.; Kemper, J. (ed.), Birds to watch in Namibia: red, rare and endemic species, pp. 58-59. Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Namibia Nature Foundation.
Stabach, J.A., Laporte, N. and Olupot, W. 2009. Modeling habitat suitability for Grey Crowned-cranes (Balearica regulorum gibbericeps) throughout Uganda. Int. J. Biodiv. Conserv. 1: 177-186.
Urban, E.K., Fry, C.H. and Keith, S. 1986. The Birds of Africa, Volume II. Academic Press, London.
Wamiti, W., Gichuki, N., Sigana, D.A., Njoroge, P., Nowald, G. and Fox, D. 2021. Population, flocking behaviour and habitat selection of the Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum at Lake Ol’ Bolossat basin, Kenya. Scopus 41(1): 13-23.
Wamiti, W., Gichuki, N., Sigana, D.A.O., Njoroge, P., Morrison, K., Schröder, W., Ndung’u, G. and Rubalcaba, J.G. Nesting habits of grey crowned crane Balearica regulorum in Lake Ol’ Bolossat basin, Kenya. African Journal of Ecology : 1-11.
Wamiti, W., Mwangi, J., Fox, D., Bakari, N., Schröder, W., Nowald, G., Walter, B., Ndung’u, G., Bii, E., Wanjala, M., Nekesa, V., Waiguchu, G. and Kimani, D. 2020. Kenya’s first countrywide census of Grey Crowned Crane: February-March 2019. Bulletin African Bird Club 27(2): 210-218.
Wamiti, W., Mwangi, J., Ndung’u, G., Fox, D., Schröder, W., Kyalo, S., Muita, L., Bakari, S., Warui, D., Härtl, C., Bii, E., Wanjala, M., Kitui, V., Luseka, C., Ogoma, M., Gichia, M., Maina, C., Wanyoike, J., Obiero, N., Gichimu, C., Gichuki, C., Kasaya, J., Otundo, F., Guchu, C., Njogu, C., Nekesa, J., Kimani, P., Leteele, V., Kithule, F. and Kimani, D. 2023. Kenya’s second countrywide census of Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum: February-March 2023. Technical Report. NABU, ICF/EWT/CANCO & NMK, Nairobi, Kenya.
WCS. 2016. Nationally Threatened Species for Uganda.
IUCN SSC Crane Specialist Group
International Crane Foundation Species Field Guide
Search for photos and videos, and hear sounds of this species from the Macaulay Library
Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan
Status, Survey and Conservation Action Plan
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/grey-crowned-crane-balearica-regulorum on 26/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 26/12/2024.