The Grey Crowned Crane occurs in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats. This animal does not migrate.
The Grey Crowned Crane is about 1m tall and weighs 3.5kg. Its body plumage is mainly grey; the wings are predominantly white, but contain feathers with a range of colours. The head has a crown of stiff golden feathers. The sides of the face are white, and there is a bright red inflatable throat pouch*. The bill is relatively short and grey, and the legs are black. The sexes are similar, although males tend to be slightly larger. It feeds on grass seeds, insects, reptiles and small mammals.
The Grey Crowned Crane has a breeding display involving dancing, bowing, and jumping. Refer here for some good footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzZhK09A_cM. It has a booming call which involves inflation of the red gular sac*. It also makes a honking sound quite different from the trumpeting of other crane species.
The Grey Crowned Crane is the national bird of Uganda and features in the country's flag and coat of arms. Balearica regulorum is listed as Vulnerable.
Try here for a particularly interesting image of the Grey Crowned Crane: http://rpmedia.ask.com/ts?u=/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Grey_Crowned_Crane_2.jpg/80px-Grey_Crowned_Crane_2.jpg
[All text above: Ref (133)]
* Gular skin (throat skin), in ornithology, is an area of featherless skin on birds that joins the lower mandible of the beak (or bill) to the bird's neck. [Ref (134)]
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