
The blue crane, also known as the Stanley crane and the paradise crane, is the national bird of South Africa.
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Curve from 3,264 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Blue Crane is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
3,264 records, iNaturalist












Regoor Suid-Afrika
Beplan ’n reis
Gashere het die Blue Crane gesien by verblyfplekke in of langs uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve and Rocherpan Nature Reserve.

Western Cape
Rocherpan · De Hoop · Grootvadersbosch

KwaZulu-Natal
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg · Giants Castle

Eastern Cape
Kwandwe · Addo Elephant

Limpopo
Welgevonden
Ry self
Jou eie voertuig en pas, op die park se paaie.
Waar gashere dit aanteken
Begeleide ritte van ’n lodge af
’n Gids wat weet waar om te kyk, met veldritte en nagritte in die privaat reservate.
Waar gashere dit aanteken
IUBN Rooi Lys
Vulnerable
Spesie
Grus paradiseus
Waarnemings
3 264
iNaturalist-waarnemings
Elke bespreking op Spekboom ondersteun bewaring.
’n Waarneming beteken dat ’n gasheer die Blue Crane op die eiendom of naby gesien het. Dit waarborg nooit dat jy dit sal sien nie.
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Blue Crane at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Rocherpan Nature Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve and Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
The Blue Crane is most recorded in Western Cape (71% of records), Eastern Cape (12% of records), Northern Cape (5% of records), based on 3 264 iNaturalist observations. 83 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Blue Crane on site or nearby.
The Blue Crane is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Rocherpan Nature Reserve: Winter and spring for birds and flowers, Jun-Oct; De Hoop Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
The Blue Crane (Grus paradiseus) is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
The blue crane, also known as the Stanley crane and the paradise crane, is the national bird of South Africa. The species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.