South Africa’s national bird, the iconic Blue Crane, has officially been uplisted from Near Threatened to Vulnerable in the newly published Regional Red Data Book 2025.

The uplisting of the Blue Crane to Vulnerable in South Africa means that it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium term.

This reflects growing concern about the species’ future. Although the Karoo boasts the highest number of Blue Cranes in South Africa, the species’ decline is of particular concern in the Overberg region of the Western Cape where Blue Cranes occur at higher densities than anywhere else in the country.

Data from the long-running citizen science project, Coordinated Avifaunal Roadcounts (CAR), shows that the Overberg has seen an alarming 44% decline in Blue Crane numbers between 2011 and 2025. These figures are especially concerning given that this region once had a thriving Blue Crane population.  Prior to the decline, CAR accounts indicated that Blue Crane numbers had increased by 261% between 1994 and 2010.

In the Karoo, CAR figures showed that populations had declined prior to 2017. But, this data is dated given that CAR counts are no longer done in this region. To remedy this, BirdlifeSA has formed a CAR working group with the Endangered Wildlife Trust/International Crane Foundation partnership (EWT/ICF), Overberg Crane Group (OCG) and FitzPatrick Institute to reinvigorate the project, particularly in areas like the Karoo.

The citizen science project is conducted twice annually. It relies 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. This data underpins vital conservation decisions, including the recent uplisting of the Blue Crane.

Why are Blue Cranes declining?

The reasons behind the dramatic decline in the Overberg over the past 14 years are unclear, but research has revealed some clues.  Recent research by EWT Conservation Scientist, Dr Christie Craig, into the species’ long-term viability revealed that breeding success in the Overberg has halved since the last published study 30 years ago. On average, pairs now raise just 0.55 fledglings – far below what’s needed to sustain the population.

MSc student Michelle Bouwer has found that the key drivers of nest failure in the Overberg are disturbance and high temperatures. This is concerning given that climate change models predict significant drying and warming in the Western Cape. Fence entanglement also remains a threat to Blue Crane chicks that can’t fly yet.

Since 1991 the OCG, along with partners such as CapeNature and the EWT/ICF have driven Blue Crane conservation efforts in the Overberg, engaging actively with landowners to raise awareness and ensure that farming and cranes coexist peacefully. Similar programs were initiated in the Karoo and Drakensberg, under the auspices of the South African Crane Working Group. It is because of the success of these interventions that the Blue Crane population increased and was regionally downlisted to Near Threatened in 2015, based on data up until 2010.

Since the Blue Crane 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.

The Drakensberg region features all three crane species in South Africa—the Blue Crane, Wattled Crane and Grey Crowned Crane. Because of ongoing research and conservation efforts, all three species are increasing in KwaZulu-Natal.

The uplisting of Blue Cranes 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 occur primarily in wheatlands. As new technologies are implemented, cultivars are developed and farming methods are adapted, Blue Crane populations are being affected.  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. But, more research is needed to confirm this.

Blue Cranes have also 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. This further highlights the importance of conservation presence in the landscape to ensure that illegal poisonings don’t go undetected, and to make certain that farmers have support to deal with crop damage problems.

Research showing that power line collisions in the Overberg had decreased in the last 15 years may be attributed to concerted efforts through the EWT/Eskom partnership to mark power lines. Nonetheless, collision with power lines remains the main threat to Blue Cranes, and ongoing mitigation is necessary, especially as new power lines 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.

The vital role of farmers

In order to ensure conservation success collective action including landowners, farmers, local municipalities, researchers, NGOs and community members, is required. 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. Their commitment forms the backbone of South Africa’s Blue Crane conservation efforts.

It is important to note that because Blue Cranes have a strong association with agriculture across their range in South Africa, a variety of conservation expertise is required to conserve the species.

With the help of the IUCN Conservation Planning Specialist Group, the EWT/ICF has coordinated a multi-stakeholder conservation planning process for Blue Crane. The stakeholders also include the OCG, CapeNature, Wool Growers Association, Kogelberg Biosphere Rehabilitation Centre, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Eskom and Birdlife SA.

This conservation plan specifies several actions that will be implemented in the coming years. Among these is mitigating the impacts of power lines and poisoning, working with the agricultural sector to reduce threats, and protecting natural habitats that support Blue Cranes. We are confident that with coordinated, evidence-driven conservation action we can turn around the environmental status of the Blue Crane.