National bird in peril: Blue crane numbers plummet in Overberg

Mail & Guardian

01-07-2025

Blue cranes are uplisted to vulnerable due to threats such as habitat loss, powerlines, fences and poisoning. (Supplied)
South Africa's national bird, the distinctive
The uplisting of the elegant, pale blue-grey bird, known for its long, black wingtip feathers that trail on the ground, means that it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium term. This is according to the
While the Karoo boasts the highest number of blue cranes in the country, its decline is of particular concern in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, where they occur at higher densities than anywhere else in South Africa.
Data from the long-running citizen science project,
'These dramatic figures are especially concerning given that this region once had a thriving … population,' the conservation organisations said.
In the Karoo, Coordinated Avifaunal Roadcounts figures showed that populations had declined prior to 2017. But, this data is dated given that the organisation's counts are no longer done in this region, they said. To fix this, BirdLife South Africa has formed a working group with the Endangered Wildlife Trust and International Crane Foundation partnership; the Overberg Crane Group and the FitzPatrick Institute to reinvigorate the project, particularly in areas like the Karoo.
The citizen science project is conducted twice annually, relying on dedicated volunteers who count birds along fixed routes creating one of the most robust long-term datasets for large terrestrial birds in the country.
The organisations pointed to recent research by
The key drivers of nest failure in the Overberg are disturbance and high temperatures, research by MSc student
Since 1991 the Overberg Crane Group, along with partners such as CapeNature and the Endangered Wildlife Trust and International Crane Foundation, have driven blue crane conservation efforts in the Overberg. This involved engaging actively with landowners to raise awareness and ensure that farming and cranes coexist peacefully. Similar programmes were initiated in the Karoo and Drakensberg, under the auspices of the South African Crane Working Group.
The success of these interventions meant that the blue crane population increased and was regionally downlisted to near threatened in 2015, based on data up until 2010.
'As the population was doing well, conservation efforts for blue cranes were reduced in the Western Cape and Karoo. This can be attributed to the fact that conservation resources are limited and work needs to be prioritised to species that need it the most.'
All three crane species in South Africa — the blue, wattled and grey crowned — are found in the Drakensberg region. Ongoing
'The uplisting has demonstrated that this species is dependent on ongoing conservation efforts, especially as they occur almost entirely outside of protected areas.'
Within the Overberg, blue cranes are primarily found in wheatlands. 'As new technologies are implemented, cultivars are developed and farming methods are adapted, blue cranes populations are being affected,' they said.
'Indications are that an increase in the practice of minimum till and increased canola production may have reduced the availability of suitable feeding and breeding areas for cranes.' More research was needed to confirm this.
Blue cranes have become the secondary, or unintended, victims of poisoning in the Overberg and Swartland regions, often from substances intended for other species, such as geese or rodents.
Research has revealed that
Still, collision with powerlines remains the main threat to blue cranes. The conservation organisations said ongoing mitigation is necessary, especially as new powerlines are added to connect renewable energy to the grid. This is particularly a threat in the renewable energy development zones of the Overberg and Karoo.
Blue cranes have a strong association with agriculture across their range in South Africa and a variety of conservation expertise is required to conserve the species.
'Encouragingly, many farmers have already embraced their role as custodians of these birds, showing that agricultural productivity and biodiversity conservation can go hand in hand,' the groups said. 'Their commitment forms the backbone of South Africa's blue crane conservation efforts.'
Kevin Shaw, the chairperson of the Overberg Crane Group, added that the Red List assessment is the determination of extinction risk. It looks at how well the species is doing over a period of time and measures it against set criteria, allowing assessors to assign a conservation status.
'What is often forgotten is that the survival of a species is governed by two forces: the threats on the one hand and the mitigation efforts to combat these threats. If the population of a threatened species is improving and it is uplisted (as was the blue crane 10 years ago) then we all rejoice, clap one another on the backs on a job well done and walk off to tackle the next species, forgetting that the threats are still there and the only reason why the species 'recovered' was because of conservation actions.'
It therefore came as no surprise to him that the blue crane had been uplisted again 10 years later.
'The threats are still there, and there may be even different ones because … we don't have a clue on what is going on, on the ground. There is a lot of speculation, but with finite resources , we need to be damn sure, otherwise we could be wasting valuable resources on conservation actions that will not achieve relevant results.'
According to Shaw, the biggest problem for the blue crane is that the largest portion of its population occurs on agricultural land. This is not seen as a conservation priority as it does not contribute to the country's target for conservation in terms of land within protected areas.
'Also this is where the largest human impact is, with landowners changing the landscape on a large scale influenced predominantly by agricultural trends and economics,' he said. 'The latter are constantly changing and, without keeping abreast, it becomes difficult to assess where and what the threats are and, subsequently, the best conservation actions to mitigate these threats.'
The lack of presence on the ground is a big factor in the species' decline, he noted. 'This not only refers to a fieldworker but government staff as well. In the past, we had agricultural extension staff in the regions, which we knew well and could rely on to indicate what is happening on the ground.'
These staff no longer exist. 'Also the [Overberg Crane Group] and the fieldworker were well supported by the then provincial conservation department, now CapeNature. With budget cuts and lack of resources this has dwindled and conservation work has been reduced to work on protected areas with off-reserve conservation left to a few officers having to work over large areas, resulting in predominantly reactive work.'
This situation is not restricted to the Western Cape but is relevant to all provinces and is indicative of the state of conservation in the country.
'Also, conservation effort within an agricultural landscape is still something of an anomaly within South Africa, with conservation priorities set to save target percentages of natural vegetation types/percentage of the country within protected areas. This is an easier target to set, easier to defend and easier to strategise to achieve.'
The conservation groups said that, with the help of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's planning specialist group, the Endangered Wildlife Trust- International Crane Foundation has coordinated a multi-stakeholder conservation planning process for blue cranes. Other partners involved include the Overberg Crane Group, CapeNature, Wool Growers Association, Kogelberg Biosphere Rehabilitation Centre, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Eskom and BirdLife South Africa.
This
'We are confident that, with coordinated, evidence-driven conservation action, we can turn around the environmental status of the blue crane.'