The gray crowned crane is an elegant bird that lives in Africa in the swamps south of the Sahara. The crane is about 3 1/4 feet tall (1 m) and has a magnificent yellow feathered crest on its head. The feathers on the body are gray while the wings are white and there are some yellow and orange-brown feathers on the tail. It has blue eyes and a red patch of skin on its throat.

Not only does the gray crowned crane have this impressive headgear but it has an elaborate dance ceremony that it performs. The bird practices its dance all year long but gets really serious when it comes to mating season. They pose with wings outstretched then strut to the left and right and jumping up and down to show all their best qualities. They are also able to perch in trees, something other cranes don’t do. The black crowned crane is their close relative.

The crane finds many tasty items among the grasses, commonly feeding on insects and seeds with some reptiles and small mammals to round it out.