Blue crane

Introduction: Blue cranes (Anthropoides paradiseus) inhabit the grassland and scrubland that fringe Etosha National Park Pan, usually in large flocks, with up 750 birds being recorded. They roost at night in shallow water such as pans and dams, where they are highly vocal.

Distribution: Isolated in Namibia to Etosha National Park.

Diet: Pecks and digs with bill for small bulbs, grass seeds, roots, caterpillars, grasshoppers and locusts and their eggs, termites, worms, crabs, fish, reptiles, small mammals and frogs.

Description: Medium-sized crane with characteristic ornamental head plumes and a loud, trumpeting voice. Paradiscus is the Latin equivalent of 'paradise' as these birds were once believed to be angels. Anthropoides is a Latin word derived from Greek, meaning 'man-like'. Often confused with the wattled crane.

Breeding: Nests consist of a pad of vegetation on wet ground and a layer of small stones on dry ground. Females lay 1 or 2 eggs between December and March.

Size: 1.2m.

Weight: 5kg. Males are larger than females.