Grey Crowned Crane
Grey Crowned CraneGrey Crowned CraneGrey Crowned CraneGrey Crowned Crane

Grey Crowned Crane

Balearica regulorum

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Virunga National Park
764 Verified records at Virunga National Park
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The grey crowned crane or gray crowned crane (Balearica regulorum) is a large crane species native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It occurs mainly in dry savannah, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats, and can also be found in marshes, cultivated lands and grassy flatlands near rivers and lakes. Its body plumage is mainly grey and it has white cheeks, a red throat patch, and a stiff golden crown. It is omnivorous, consuming a wide variety of animal and plant matter, including plants, seeds, grain, insects, frogs, worms, snakes, small fish and the eggs of aquatic animals. It is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. It is the national bird of Uganda. Wikipedia →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Crowned Crane sighting in Virunga National Park, based on 764 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Virunga National Park

Black Crake

Black Crake

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Amaurornis flavirostra

10–20% · With luck
Red-knobbed Coot
LC

Red-knobbed Coot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fulica cristata

5–10% · Rare
Common Moorhen
LC

Common Moorhen

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallinula chloropus

<5% · Rare
Red-chested Flufftail
LC

Red-chested Flufftail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sarothrura rufa

<5% · Rare
African Rail
LC

African Rail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rallus caerulescens

<5% · Rare
African Crake
LC

African Crake

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Crex egregia

<5% · Rare
Western Swamphen
LC

Western Swamphen

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Porphyrio porphyrio

<5% · Rare
White-spotted Flufftail
LC

White-spotted Flufftail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sarothrura pulchra

<5% · Rare
Lesser Moorhen

Lesser Moorhen

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallinula angulata

<5% · Rare
African Finfoot
LC

African Finfoot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Podica senegalensis

<5% · Rare
Buff-spotted Flufftail
LC

Buff-spotted Flufftail

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Sarothrura elegans

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

20–30
Jan
20–30
Feb
10–20
Mar
20–30
Apr
10–20
May
20–30
Jun
10–20
Jul
10–20
Aug
10–20
Sep
10–20
Oct
10–20
Nov
10–20
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
70–80%
2 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
50–60%
3 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
40–50%
4 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
30–40%
5 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
30–40%
6 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
30–40%
7 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
8 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
20–30%
9 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
10 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
11 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
20–30%
12 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
13 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
20–30%
14 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
20–30%
15 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
20–30%
16 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
10–20%
17 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
10–20%
18 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
19 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
20 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
10–20%
21 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
22 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
23 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
24 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
25 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
26 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
27 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
28 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
29 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
30 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
31 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
32 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
33 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
Insufficient data
34 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
Insufficient data
35 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Grey Crowned Crane in Virunga National Park?

About 18% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Crowned Crane sighting in Virunga National Park, based on 764 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Grey Crowned Crane in Virunga National Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Grey Crowned Crane in Virunga National Park in our monthly data.

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