Crowned cranes facing extinction in Tanzania?

Nobody knows the number of the endangered Grey Crowned Crane in Tanzania. That is why NABU is initiating a monitoring project with international participation.

Let's go!

A team from the NABU Crane Centre sets off for the airport in Berlin in the new E-Vito - sponsored by Daimler Truck.

It is estimated that there are only 20,000 Grey Crowned Cranes left in all East African countries combined - and the trend is downward. Since they occur near the equator, they are not migratory birds. Nevertheless, they cross national borders (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi).

Staff from Nature Tanzania, Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association, Crane Conservation Volunteers (Kenya), NABU International and Kranichschutz Deutschland started the first census of Grey Crowned Cranes in Tanzania's history.

In the process, over 20 volunteer local "champions" helped in the crane search. Otherwise the search would be hopeless. The motif shows the border region between Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda.

The beginning has been made. 94 Grey Crowned Cranes were sighted in northern Tanzania. Among them were 9 young birds. The photo shows a juvenile Grey Crowned Crane.

What is the next step?

Leonidas Momburi, Crane Coordinator at Nature Tanzania, will continue to train the "local champions" in the coming years. They will capture more crowned cranes, but most importantly they will discourage their village communities from collecting eggs or young birds. This is one of the biggest threats to the crowned cranes in East Africa. The NABU Crane Centre will continue to accompany Leonidas' work in the future, e.g. in data evaluation.