Rwanda's Grey Crowned Crane population has risen to 1,438, according to the results of the 10th consecutive national Grey Crowned Crane census released by the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA) on Saturday, August 15.
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The latest figures mark a significant recovery for one of Rwanda's most threatened bird species.
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The Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The species depends on wetlands, surrounding grasslands and agricultural landscapes for breeding and feeding and can travel considerable distances between habitats.
When Rwanda's Grey Crowned Crane conservation programme began in 2015, fewer than 300 cranes were estimated to remain in the wild, according to the survey.
Illegal capture for the pet trade, keeping cranes in private gardens and hotels, and widespread wetland degradation had pushed the species towards local extinction.
The first nationwide census, conducted in 2017, recorded 487 cranes, establishing the country's first scientifically verified population baseline.
Ten consecutive years of monitoring have since documented a steady increase in crane numbers, providing a clearer picture of a population in recovery.
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The recovery has been driven by sustained conservation efforts, including ending illegal captivity and returning cranes to the wild, protecting and restoring wetlands, strengthening monitoring and law enforcement, and placing local communities at the centre of conservation.
"Ten years of consistent monitoring have given us more than a population count--they've shown us where cranes breed, where they're threatened, and where our efforts need to go next.
That knowledge exists because our Community Conservation Champions and Community Rangers gather it, wetland by wetland, day after day, and because communities have chosen to protect cranes rather than capture them. Rwanda's crane population came back because Rwandans brought them back," said Dr Deo Ruhagazi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association.
How the crane census is conducted
The annual Grey Crowned Crane census has been carried out every year since 2017 during the dry season, at the end of the breeding period, when cranes are easier to observe across wetlands and surrounding landscapes.
Using ground surveys, conservation teams assess wetlands, agricultural landscapes and other known crane habitats across Rwanda with GPS-enabled digital data collection tools.
Aerial surveys complement ground observations, particularly in inaccessible wetlands such as Rugezi Marsh.
Observers record adult and juvenile cranes, chicks, flock sizes, breeding activity, habitat condition and threats, including wetland degradation, illegal activities and human disturbance.
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The census provides scientific evidence to guide Grey Crowned Crane conservation across Rwanda.
"This information has helped us identify priority habitats and direct conservation efforts where they are most needed," Ruhagazi said, adding that healthy wetlands are the foundation of the Grey Crowned Crane's recovery.
Grey Crowned Cranes depend on wetlands for breeding and feeding and move between different wetlands and surrounding landscapes throughout the year.
"When wetlands are degraded or disturbed, cranes move to other areas in search of safe breeding and feeding habitats," he said.
A dedicated network of Community Conservation Champions and Community Rangers monitors breeding sites, reports threats, deters illegal activities such as poaching, and works with communities to protect critical wetland habitats throughout the year.
Cranes in Rugezi Marsh
In 2017, just 71 Grey Crowned Cranes were recorded in Rugezi Marsh. By 2026, that number had risen to 378, reflecting continuous annual growth.
Rugezi Marsh now supports more than one-quarter of Rwanda's entire Grey Crowned Crane population.
The recovery has occurred alongside years of investment in restoring and protecting the marsh, as well as efforts to work closely with neighbouring communities.
Today, a team of 75 Community Rangers patrols the marsh daily, monitoring cranes and breeding sites, reporting illegal activities, supporting habitat restoration and helping communities reduce pressure on the wetland.
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"When wetlands are protected and communities are supported to become part of conservation, wildlife can recover," the survey states.
The survey also highlights the need to reduce dependence on grass cutting in Rugezi Marsh, where wetland grass has traditionally been harvested to make sleeping mats, to protect crane habitat.
Theresa Nyirangwabije, 84, said she had depended on the marsh for most of her life, harvesting grass to weave traditional mats.
"We used to cut grass from Rugezi when I was a little girl. We would also collect firewood there and often saw cranes," she recalled.
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"We could have destroyed it many years ago without realising its value. It benefits not only us but future generations as well. It is the source of water for the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo."
Liberta Uzabino, another resident, said households living around the wetland should be encouraged to form savings groups so they can buy mattresses instead of making mats from Rugezi wetland grass.
Transboundary crane census
The past decade has also enabled conservationists to better understand Grey Crowned Crane movements.
Satellite tracking of GPS-tagged cranes revealed that the birds regularly cross Rwanda's borders into Uganda and Tanzania.
The discovery showed that protecting Rwanda's Grey Crowned Crane population requires cooperation beyond national borders.
In 2022, a crane conservation organisation from Rwanda launched a transboundary Grey Crowned Crane conservation initiative in partnership with Nature Uganda, Nature Tanzania and the International Crane Foundation. The Association Burundaise pour la Protection de la Nature (ABN) joined the initiative in 2025.
Today, partner organisations across the four countries conduct a coordinated transboundary crane census, helping build a shared understanding of Grey Crowned Crane populations and movements across the region while strengthening conservation planning.
