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Group:
Bird
Size:
1 - 1.2 m tall,
wingspan 1.8 - 2.1 m
Distribution:
Endemic to southern Africa, with the main range in South Africa’s grasslands and Karoo, a small population in Etosha National Park (Namibia), and sporadic sightings in Botswana.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
66.72 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
7.32 kilobases
Assembly N50:
10 888.1 kilobases
Contig number:
2 170
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Assembler used:
Flye
Genome Length:
1.22 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
100.0% [S: 98.8%, D: 1.2%]
BUSCO database:
eukaryota
Importance:
The Blue Crane, South Africa’s national bird, is an important part of the country’s rich avian diversity and holds cultural significance. Although the species has adapted to human-altered landscapes such as urban areas and agricultural fields, it remains vulnerable to habitat loss, poisoning, and collisions with power lines.
Sample Contributor contact details:
Prof. Paulette Bloomer
University of Pretoria
Date Published:
2026-02-04
Photo credit:
© M. Valentini
Fauna
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