RED DATA CATEGORY:	Vulnerable
DISTRIBUTION	Endemic to Southern Africa - Natural grassland, grassy karoo, agriculturally transformed Renosterveld
POPULATION	< 25000
ECOLOGY	Habitat and Breeding
MAIN THREATS	Habitat loss, poisonings, powerline collisions, chicks removed from the wild
CONSERVATION	Landowner management participation, responsible use of agro-chemicals

DISTRIBUTION
The Blue Crane is endemic to southern Africa, with the only other small populations being located in Etosha Pans (northern Namibia) and the western parts of Swaziland. While locally abundant in limited parts of its range, it is now rare in most parts. Its population may be divided into three, with one portion of the population centred in the Mpumalanga, N.E. Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal regions into the northern parts of the Eastern Cape. A second occurs in the central Karoo situated within the Northern Cape extending into the Karoo regions of the southern Free State and Eastern cape, and the last in the south Western Cape (Overberg / Swartland regions), where it is a relatively recent colonizer of agricultural areas. The species range has diminished from the “old” Transkei region, and occurs as an occasional vagrant in Lesotho and Botswana.

POPULATION
Although this species is still found throughout much of its historic range, it has experienced significant and rapid local declines over the last twenty years. The most recent estimate puts the population at 21 000 individuals. A National Crane Census performed during 1998 revealed 19 919 Blue Cranes within South Africa, with the majority of these being found within the Karoo habitats and the agriculturally transformed renosterveld of the Western Cape. 10 650 of these are located in the Overberg / Swartland region of the Western Cape (53,5 % of South Africa’s population), with other significant populations being found in the scrub Karoo of the Eastern Cape (3 300 centred on Graaff Reniet) and the grassy Karoo of the Northern Cape province (2650 centred on De Aar / Hanover). The remaining populations within Mpumalanga, the north eastern parts of the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and the north Eastern Cape have shown marked declines, and in the areas of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, declines of up to 80 %.

ECOLOGY
The Blue Crane is a bird of dry short grasslands, and together with the Demoiselle Crane (A. virgo), the least dependent on wetland habitats for breeding. Within the grasslands, the species is more abundant and evenly distributed in the eastern “sour” grasslands (where natural grazing of livestock is the predominant land use). In the arid Karoo, the species is found in areas where perennial grasslands are dominant over the more typical scrub Karoo vegetation of the region. In the Western Cape, the species is restricted almost exclusively to intensively cultivated habitats (mainly cereal crops and small livestock farming). Blue Cranes are summer breeders, nesting from late September through to February. Preferred nesting sites are secluded open grasslands with full view around the nest for predator evasion. A clutch of 2 eggs is laid, generally in a shallow grassy depression or simply on the bare ground. Occasionally, Blue Cranes may nest in shallow seasonal wetlands, particularly where livestock numbers are high and risk of nest trampling is increased. In agricultural areas, they nest in pastures, in fallow fields and in crop fields as stubble becomes available after harvest. The Blue Crane is termed a partial migrant, gathering in large flocks during the winter months having moved out of their breeding territories. The understanding of the movement patterns are limited but are currently being assessed using satellite telemetry and colour ringing. Movements appear to be more localized than previously expected, with flocks moving in large groups within their subpopulations (e.g. the subpopulation in the Karoo biome) and not mixing throughout the country.

THREATS
A combination of grassland habitat loss through land use alteration and agrochemical poisoning has led to the most significant declines in Blue Crane populations. The alteration of large tracts of natural grasslands to commercial afforestation, particularly pine and eucalyptus plantations for paper pulp and timber production, reduce the suitable open grassland habitats required for successful breeding. Approximately 1,5 million hectares have already been afforested in South Africa, mainly in the eastern parts of Mpumalanga where the greatest impact has been experienced, with the likelihood of this increasing dramatically in the future, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape Provinces. The documented decline of Blue Cranes has coincided with many reported cases of poisonings from all parts of the country, although proportionally more from the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces (where large populations of Blue Crane are found and can be expected to occur in crop fields). Poisoning in the past has been through intentional and deliberate poisoning of cranes causing crop damage, the inadvertent poisoning aimed at killing other species causing crop damage, or accidentally through the normal application of agrochemicals to croplands. Currently, poisoning cases are as a result of farm workers either directly poisoning cranes, or inadvertently poisoning them when baiting grain for gamebirds, for extra food protein. Another significant threat is the removal of young Blue Crane chicks, prior to fledging, from the wild to be kept as pets, for food, or to sell to bird breeders. In the Karoo, the greatest threat occurs through collisions with the conductors and earthwires of powerlines, both large transmission and smaller distribution powerlines. Other less significant threats occur through domestic dog predation, fences, and chicks drowning in water troughs.

CONSERVATION
Being restricted predominantly to privately-owned farmland, conservation of this species relies on landowner management participation. Within the grassland biome, Blue Crane habitat management needs to be included in future planning of afforestable regions, and people must be discouraged from removing chicks from the wild. A better understanding of overhead powerline collisions is required, which constitutes the most significant threat within the Karoo biome. Throughout the country, but especially in the Overberg / Swartland regions, more responsible use of agrochemicals needs to be encouraged, especially by the farm staff who bait grain to catch birds for food.

PROTECTED AREAS AND IBA's
Steenkampsberg plateau, proposed Grassland Biosphere Reserve, Platberg Karoo Conservancy, KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg Park, Impendle Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal Mistbelt grasslands, Karoo Nature reserve, Overberg wheatbelt and De Hoop Nature Reserve.