Blue Crane Anthropoides paradisia
The elegant Blue Crane stands about one meter high and is almost entirely restricted to South Africa in its distribution. It is a light blue-grey, has a long neck supporting a rather bulbous head, long legs and elegant wing plumes which sweep to the ground. Blue Cranes lay their eggs in the bare veld, often close to water. They are quite common in the Karoo, but are also seen in the grasslands of KwaZulu-Natal and the highveld, usually in pairs or small family parties. It grazes in the field and eats seeds, insects and small reptiles. The Blue Crane has a distinctive rattling croak, 'kraaaarrrk', fairly high-pitched at call, which can be heard from far away. It is, however, usually quiet.