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HABITAT AFRICA!
THE SAVANNAH

East African

Gray-crowned

Crane

Balearica regulorum gibbericeps

Sex: Female
Arrival: December 2020, donation from the
International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin
Native habitat: Sub-Saharan Africa, from
Kenya and Uganda to South Africa; savannahs
and grasslands near water
Facts: This large crane—about 3 feet tall with a
wingspan of 6.5 feet—has been described as elegant
and regal. It is the national bird of Uganda. Its name
comes from the gray plumage that covers much of
its body and a “crown” of stiff golden feathers on its
head. The birds are known for elaborate courtship
displays of leaping, bowing, head-bobbing, and
wing-fluttering. Some of the bird’s dance moves
have been mimicked and used in human ritual
dances. This crane is one of only a few species of
cranes that can roost in trees. They are endangered
due to loss of habitat, pesticide poisoning, poaching,
BIRD WITH and live capture for the international animal trade.
THE BEST

DANCE MOVES

Dwarf Seahorse THE LIVING COAST

Hippocampus zosterae

Arrival: September/October 2021; 18 fry were born at Brookfield Zoo, 10 came from New England Aquarium
Native habitat: Seagrass beds in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and along Florida’s Atlantic Coast
Facts: These seahorses are only 1 inch in length in adulthood and their babies, or fry, are even tinier. It’s the
male of this species that becomes pregnant and gives birth. The female lays her eggs in a brood pouch on the male’s
body where they are fertilized by him. He carries the fertilized eggs until they emerge as fully developed live fry.
Dwarf seahorses are predators and feed by sucking up very small marine invertebrates through their nose.
They are camouflage experts and can change their color to blend in with their environment.

BROOKFIELD ZOO | SPRING 2022 27