The three South African crane species, namely, the Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus), the Blue Crane (Anthropoides paradisea) and the Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum regulorum) are all threatened. South African legislation protects the cranes, however eggs and/or fledglings are sometimes illegally collected from the wild. These are then sold, often by registered breeders, who falsely claim them as the offspring of their captive breeding pair. DNA fingerprinting is one method to detect this crime. Fifteen RAPD primers were screened for polymorphism in the three species. Seven primers produced polymorphic profiles in the Blue Crane and eight each in the Grey Crowned Crane and Wattled Crane, with an average of 14.57, 12.38 and 5.88 scorable loci per primer, respectively. The Band Sharing Coefficient for unrelated individuals was found to be 0.665, 0.745 and 0.736 for the Blue, Grey Crowned and Wattled Crane respectively. Five microsatellite primers, originally developed for use in Whooping Cranes (Grus american), had previously been shown to be polymorphic in the Wattled Crane. This was also the case in this study with an average of 3.6 alleles per primer. Although all primers cross amplified, only a single primer each showed polymorphism in the Blue Crane (showing 6 alleles) and the Grey Crowned Crane (showing 5 alleles). The RAPDs were found to be irreproducible, show high numbers of novel bands and had parent: offspring BSC values that were not significantly higher than those of unrelated individuals. Statistics showed that, in the Blue Crane, the probability that misassigned parents would be detected was low whilst there was an almost certainty that true parents would be incorrectly excluded. The five microsatellite primers examined gave exclusionary powers of 0.869 and 0.641 where one or two parents were unknown in the Wattled Crane. The exclusionary powers for the Blue Crane and Grey Crowned Crane calculated at only one locus were much lower. It was concluded that RAPDs were totally inappropriate for parentage analyses, however, microsatellites are a suitable technique and recommendations are made that other microsatellites, developed for other species of crane, should be examined for their potential in this respect. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study addresses the problem of Blue Crane (Anthropoides paradiseus) collisions with power lines in the Overberg region, home to approximately 50% of South Africa's national bird's global population. The low visibility of power lines against the landscape is considered to be the major cause of collisions. These claim at least 20 birds annually, which is a considerable loss to a vulnerable species. For this study, expert knowledge of the Blue Cranes' biology, general behaviour and use of its habitat were compiled. These were then translated into rules that were integrated into a Geographic Information System (GIS) to establish a predictive model, which attempts to identify and quantify risk power lines that Blue Cranes are most likely to collide with. The criteria that were considered included landscape proximity of power lines to water bodies arid congregation sites, land cover, power lines orientation in relation to predominant wind directions (North Westerly and South Easterly) and visibility of the power lines against the landscape. The power lines were ranked as highest, high, medium, low and no risk. It is recommended that this classification be used to prioritize the proactive marking of power lines with bird flappers in order to reduce collisions. The results show that 27% of the power lines in the study area pose the highest risk and should therefore be marked immediately. The power lines classified as high (1%), medium (28%) and low risk (21 %) should be marked over short, medium and long term, respectively .. The study demonstrated the potential of GIS in the conservation of Blue Crane. The GIS model developed in this study can be applied in areas of similar habitat such as the Swartland or with some modifications in a slightly different habitat such as the Karoo. It is envisaged that the results of this study will be of great value to the ESKOM (South African Electricity Commission) and Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) Partnership and conservation authorities in the effort to save the Blue Crane. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het die probleem van botsings deur Bloukraanvoëls met kraglyne in die Overberg-omgewing van die Wes-Kaap ondersoek. Die Overberg-omgewing huisves ongeveer 50% van Suid Afrikaanse nasionale voël se wêreldbevolking van Bloukraanvoëls, en aangesien kraglyne normaalweg nie maklik sigbaar is teen die landskapsagtergrond nie, verhoog dit, tesame met die biologiese eienskappe van Bloukraanvoëls, die waarskynlikheid dat die voëls met kraglyne sal bots. Hierdie botsings met kraglyne eis minstens 20 Bloukraanvoëls per jaar, wat 'n aansienlike en beduidende aantal vir 'n kritiese bedreigde spesie is. Die studie het gepoog om spesialiskennis oor Bloukraanvoël-biologie, algemene gedrag en habitatgebruik, om te sit in 'n stel reëls, wat in 'n Geografiese Inligtingstelsel (GIS) geïntegreer is om 'n voorspellingsmodel te bou. Hierdie voorspellingsmodel is aangewend om kraglyne wat 'n hoë risiko vir Bloukraanvoëls inhou, te identifiseer en die waarskynlikheid vir botsings te kwantifiseer. Die model aanvaar dat die volgende omgewingsfaktore in die Overberg-omgewing verband hou met die waarskynlikheid van botsings, naamlik: die nabyheid van kraglyne aan waterliggame of gebiede waar voëls saamtrek, die voorkoms van natuurlike veld, die heersende windrigtings (Noordwes en Noordoos) en lae sigbaarheid van kraglyne teen die donker landskapsagtergrond. Die geïdentifiseerde kraglyne is as eerste-, tweede, derde. en vierderangse prioriteit geprioritiseer om as riglyn te dien vir die proaktiewe aanbring van flappers (wat dit ten doel het om voëlbotsings te verminder) deur ESKOM. Die studie het bevind dat 27% van die kraglyne in die Overberg-omgewing eersterang prioriteite is, en dat hierdie kraglyne onmiddellik gemerk sal moet word. Die tweederang prioriteit kraglyne (1%) saloor die mediumtermyn gemerk word, terwyl die derderangse prioriteit kraglyne (28%) oor die langtermyn gemerk sal word. Die vierde prioriteit kraglyne (21 %) kon oor die langertermyn gemerk word. Die studie het die omvang van die probleem, sowel as die rol van GIS in die bewaring van die Bloukraanvoëls beklemtoon. Die GIS-model wat in die studie ontwikkel en gebruik is, kan in soortgelyke gebiede soos die Swartland, of in ietwat verskillende omgewings soos die Karoo getoets word, met die doelom die habitatvoorkeure van Bloukraanvoëls beter te verstaan en navorsers te help om 'n beter begrip van die model te ontwikkel en sodoende die resultate te verbeter. Dit word voorsien dat hierdie studie en verslag baie belangrik sal wees vir die ESKOM-EWT Vennootskap en ander betrokke bewaringsorganisasies in 'n poging om Bloukraanvoël-bewaring aan te help.

Complaints of crop damage by cranes on planted maize in the North Eastern Cape, South Africa, have been increasing since the mid-1990‘s, and in some instances severe losses have been reported. Crop damage by the Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum regulorum near the town of Maclear (31º04´S 28º22´E), has been quantified over two growing seasons, and assessed relative to losses caused by foraging Cape Crows Corvus capensis and other feeding damage assumed to be caused by insects. Twelve fields were selected based on previous patterns of crop depredation. Maize seed in seven of the fields was treated with the chemical ‗Gaucho‘ and five fields were planted with untreated maize. In order to determine the source of losses, twenty quadrats (4 m x 4 m) randomly distributed within each field were visited on average every second day, for a period of up to twenty eight days. Results indicate that seed treatments do act as a deterrent to feeding by both cranes and crows, however crane damage is generally insignificant compared to other sources of damage. My study also reviewed past sightings data of the Grey Crowned Crane in an effort to determine if the conversion of former grassland to plantations in this region may have increased foraging activity in maize fields. The data did not allow for clear-cut conclusions regarding changes in distribution or population trends. Conclusions provide direct input into the management of agricultural areas by enabling landowners to take steps to mitigate crop damage. These mitigation measures may either involve the application of seed treatments, or the planting of low risk crops in high risk areas. Future studies should consider the ppossible detrimental effects of chemical seed treatments on crane biology.