# Wattled Crane (*Bugeranus carunculatus*) The Wattled Crane is a tall, elegant bird with long legs and a unique wattle on its face. It loves to live in wetlands and is known for its beautiful dance during courtship. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Wattled Crane](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Wattled_Crane_1400.jpg&width=800) Photo: http://www.birdphotos.com, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wattled_Crane_1400.jpg) ## Appearance The Wattled Crane is a tall, elegant bird with a mainly grey body, a white neck and crown, and a distinctive black face. Its most notable features are the two pendulous, fleshy wattles, bright red in colour, that hang below its chin, covered in small white feathers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Gruiformes - **Family:** Gruidae - **Genus:** Bugeranus ## Interesting facts - A Wattled Crane chick sometimes gets special help from both parents! - Their loud, rattling calls can be heard echoing across vast distances! - They use their long bills to dig up tasty tubers hidden underground! - Wattled Cranes are the largest crane species found on the African continent! ## Special abilities - **Wattle Wisdom:** Wattled Cranes have prominent, fleshy wattles that help them communicate mood and health, especially during important courtship rituals. - **Wetland Walker:** Wattled Cranes can navigate deep, flooded wetlands because of their exceptionally long legs, which helps them forage for food safely. - **Soaring Sentinel:** Wattled Cranes have broad, powerful wings that help them soar high in the sky, allowing them to spot distant threats or food sources. - **Floating Fortress Builder:** Wattled Cranes can construct large nests on floating vegetation because it provides a safe, elevated platform away from land predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 100-120 cm - **Wingspan:** 180-230 cm - **Weight:** 6.4-7.9 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-30 years - **Speed:** 65 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-2 - **Incubation:** 33-36 days - **Migration Distance:** 1000 km ## Diet & Feeding These large birds are omnivores, eating wetland plants, seeds, insects, and small aquatic animals. - **Primary Foods:** tubers, rhizomes, grass seeds, aquatic insects, snails, frogs - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Martial Eagle (*Polemaetus bellicosus*) — Martial Eagles sometimes prey on their eggs and young chicks. - **Eaten by:** [African Wild Dog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/african-wild-dog) (*Lycaon pictus*) — African Wild Dogs can sometimes eat eggs or unattended chicks. - **Eats:** African Water Lily (*Nymphaea nouchali*) — They eat rhizomes and tubers from wetland plants like this. - **Depends on:** [Papyrus](https://www.snappit.app/explore/papyrus) (*Cyperus papyrus*) — They rely on papyrus swamps for nesting and foraging grounds. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and do not try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Wattled Crane? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Wattled Crane? 100-120 cm ### What is Wattled Crane's wingspan? 180-230 cm ### How much does Wattled Crane weigh? 6.4-7.9 kg ### How long does Wattled Crane live? 20-30 years ### How fast can Wattled Crane move? 65 km/h ### What does Wattled Crane eat? These large birds are omnivores, eating wetland plants, seeds, insects, and small aquatic animals. ### Where is Wattled Crane usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [International Crane Foundation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/international-crane-foundation) — Wisconsin, US · Zoo ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Wattled Crane: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wattled-crane)