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Blue Crane in Etosha National Park
I had heard that these were very rare and they even had a place to register any sightings in the visitor center, so I was amazed to see a small group along the highway as we drove around the Etosha National Park. The sun was at an unfortunate angle, but it was still cool to see such a famous bird.
The Blue Crane , also known as the Stanley Crane and the Paradise Crane, is the national bird of South Africa. It is a tall, ground-dwelling bird, but is fairly small by the standards of the crane family. It is 100–120 cm tall and weighs 4.0–6.2 kg . This crane is pale blue-gray in colour with a white crown, a pink bill, and long, dark gray wingtip feathers which trail to the ground. Unlike most cranes, it has a relatively large head and a proportionately thin neck.
