(Bugeranus carunculatus)
of Adult:
Weight: 14 pounds
At a height of up to 6 feet and an average weight of 14 pounds, it is the largest crane in Africa and is the second tallest species of crane, after the Sarus Crane. The back and wings are ashy gray. The feathered portion of the head is dark slate gray above the eyes and on the crown, but is otherwise white, including the wattles, which are almost fully feathered and hang down from under the upper throat. The breast, primary, secondary, and tail feathers are black. The secondary feathers are long and nearly reach the ground. The upper breast and neck are white all the way to the face. The skin in front of the eye extending to the base of the beak and tip of the wattles is red and bare of feathers and covered by small round wart-like bumps. Wattled Cranes have long bills and black legs and toes. Males and females are virtually indistinguishable, although males tend to be slightly larger.
Juveniles have tawny body plumage, lack the bare skin on the face, and have less prominent wattles.
Destruction, alteration, and degradation of wetland habitats constitute the most significant threats to the Wattled Crane.