If you just happened to be in the Western Cape countryside this past spring, especially the winelands or the wheatlands, you might have been lucky enough to spot a gathering of blue cranes. Today a rare occurrence, most people would agree. But back in the day, such sightings were considered routine.
Blue cranes (Grus paradisea) are South Africa’s national bird. Yet even with such status, they have been under threat for at least 40 years. Encroaching urbanisation, large-scale farming and general human intervention are the reasons. Think power lines, chemical pesticides, collisions with fences and so on.
So, it should come as no surprise to learn that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the tall, ground-dwelling species as “vulnerable”. But listen up: the good news is that they are returning. To this part of the country at least, thanks to extensive regenerative farming efforts across the Winelands, our farm included. The blue cranes have adapted to the Western Cape’s agricultural fields, cereal croplands and pastures, as these are the closest to what would have been their original, natural habitat – open grassy uplands, punctuated by a few scattered trees, and dry grassy Karoo shrublands – now sadly in decline.
But first, back to the name blue crane. Why blue, when the plumage is more of a pale grey? Their long neck and body feathers do have a distinctive bluish tint, that becomes more evident in sunlight. The colour also darkens on the inner wing, where the tertial plumes are situated. These are very long and almost trail on the ground. During courtship, they are lifted and fluttered.
Given the relatively sympathetic habitat of the rural Western Cape, it’s understandable that currently somewhere between 50% and 60% of all blue cranes are to be found in the Winelands, the Overberg and the Swartland, according to the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). Estimates differ widely, but in 2025 SANBI calculated that there were somewhere between just 25 000 and 26 000 birds left all told.
We are delighted that several blue crane pairs have returned to the open land on Vergenoegd Löw for the breeding season. And that they return year after year. We take great care to ensure their breeding and their nesting sites are never disturbed and that they can live in harmony with nature in our regenerative, holistic ecoverse. They have access to food from seeds and grains derived from grasses and cultivated crops, as well as from grass roots and bulbs. They also snack on grasshoppers, beetles, and other small invertebrates. And that’s certainly a plus for our farm-wide integrated pest management. And there’s the whole of our vlei for the water they need.
It is encouraging to know that efforts are underway to protect the birds, with Government and various NGOs collaborating for concertedly than ever before. As many blue cranes live on farmland rather than in protected nature reserves, a key part of conservation centres on engaging farmers and landowners on ways to diminish risks to these endangered birds. Crucial has been the maintenance of pockets of natural, unfarmed habitat.
The birds walk about when foraging and if threatened or disturbed, will strut menacingly while shaking their heads and flicking their bills from side-to-side. The males are fiercely protective of their nesting sites and have been known to attack humans who try to get too close. Not to mention non-predatory animals such as buck and tortoises. (We obviously give them their space!)
Perhaps it is this protective instinct that led to Xhosa people in past times linking the bird, known as indwe (flag) with heroism. Traditionally, when a warrior distinguished himself in battle, he would be decorated by the leader of the community with blue crane feathers. Similarly, Zulu warriors and kings would wear blue crane feathers as part of their headdress.
The isiXhosa term isit(h)walandwe, meaning “the one who wears the plumes of the rare bird”, has taken on a more modern meaning. Post-democracy, the Isit(h)walandwe Award has been bestowed on those South Africans who have made “an outstanding contribution and sacrifice to the liberation struggle”. Albert Luthuli was one of the earliest recipients.
The birds tend to nest in pastures and fallow fields, as well as in crop fields when stubble becomes available after harvest. In winter, when they are not breeding, they become more sociable and nomadic according to SANBI, whereas in summer they are sedentary and dispersed as breeding pairs. They tend not to move far, though, staying where there is ready access to food and water.
They breed once a year. Mating pairs usually form during October, when the male performs a dance-like ritual, flinging grass and other objects into the air and then jumping. After a while, a female will join the male in this ritual. After about two weeks, they mate.
This results in two eggs usually, to be incubated by both parents. Incubation lasts about 30 days. Both eggs usually hatch, but given the sibling aggression that can often occur, sometimes only one chick is reared successfully.
At the end of summer, the pairs and their young form groups, with groups merging to form flocks, and there is then a general movement away from breeding sites. These winter flocks often number at least 50 birds and occasionally reach 300 or more. The birds feed together in old fields and roost together at night in shallow dams and ponds. Importantly, they tend to return annually to their breeding sites, if these are not disturbed. We, of course, make sure we keep ours intact to encourage their return.
So, should you be lucky enough to sight blue cranes, remember that vigilant farmers who are doing their best to farm with, rather than against nature, are helping their populations to grow.