The Sandhill Crane
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Description
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The Sandhill Crane is a large wading bird standing up to 4 feet tall with a wingspan of 5 to 6 feet. The feathers on its body are gray, but its cheeks, chin and throat are white. It has a distinctive red crown and a long dark bill.Sandhill Cranes have a bushy "bustle" made up of long, drooping feather that covers its tail. It is a gangly bird with a long neck and thin, dark legs. The sexes look alike but the immature birds have a reddish-brown tint to the feathers on the upper part of their body.
The Sandhill Crane
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Range and Habitat
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The Sandhill Crane spends the breeding season in Alaska, Siberia, and across parts of Canada. They are a migratory bird spending the winters across the southern region of the United States. Wet meadows and grasslands surrounded by pines and fir trees are their preferred habitat during mating season. During the winter they will settle in open prairies, fields, and river valleys. Sandhill Crane will choose a habitat that gives them a clear view of their surroundings. According to fossil records, the Sandhill Crane has been in existance for 10 million years.
The Sandhill Crane
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Sorry, there are no results available from Amazon.Mating and Nesting
The Sandhill Crane has an elaborate mating ritual. They paint themselves with mud and their elongated feathers on their rump fluff up to form a bustle. Paired birds spread their wings and leap into the air while vocalizing in what is called "unison calling." This passionate duet is a coordinated effort and quite lengthy.The female usually lays 2 eggs but it is rare for more than one to survive to adulthood. The nest is made of a mound of emergent vegetation. Both parents care for the young (commonly referred to as a colt) until it is able to feed itself. It will remain with it parents for up to ten months. They learn the migration route from their parents on their first trip south.
The Sandhill Crane
Diet
Sandhill Cranes are omnivores, eating both plant matter and small prey. They will eat young plants and tubers, as well as grains, mice, snakes, insects and worms. Voice
The Sandhill Crane's call is similar to the rolling notes of a trumpet. Sandhill Cranes
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Migration
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Most Sandhill Cranes migrate. The route is not instinctive but passed from one generation to the next. They follow roughly same path every year. It is estimated that 80 percent of the migrating Sandhill Cranes use a 75 mile stretch along the Platte River in Nebraska as a rest spot during their spring migration. Interesting Trivia
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1. Sandhill Cranes can live up to 20 years in the wild but captive birds have been known to live twice that long.2. Sandhill Cranes rarely start breeding until they are 2 to 7 years old.
3. Before the mating dance, the Sandhill Cranes preen. They add a layer of mud to their feathers and fluff up their bustle.
4. Mated pairs of Sandhill Cranes stay together throughout the year and migrate as a family unit. The young separated from their parents before their first winter cannot migrate. They don't know the route.
5. Observing the annual Sandhill Crane migration has become a popular tourist attraction in Central Nebraska.
6. The Sandhill Crane is the most abundant crane in the world.
Selecting a Pair of Binoculars
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Selecting a Pair of Bird Watching Binoculars
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When I look out my window and watch the birds flutter around the birdfeeder, I really don't need a pair of binoculars or a scope to enjoy the sight. I frequently stop by the window and watch the birds for a minute or two between household tasks. (Occ...
America's 100 Most Wanted Birds
America's 100 Most Wanted Birds
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
If you want to see a gyrfalcon or a fork-tailed flycatcher, this resource might be your best help in spotting them. Mostly for serious birders intent on adding species to their life lists, America's 100 Most Wanted Birds provides detailed strategies for locating 100 of the most uncommon-to-rare bird species in the United States.
Lizzy's Favorite Birds
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The Snowy Egret
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Snowy Egrets inhabit marshes, swamps, ponds, lakes, and shallow coastal areas and tidal flats. In the 19th and early 20th century, they were hunted to near extinction for their beautiful white feathers.
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The Cattle Egret
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Cattle Egrets are usually seen foraging in grassy fields rather than along waterways. They follow along behind cattle and horses, even tractors to catch the insects they stir up.
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The Great Blue Heron
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The Great Blue Heron is the largest of the North American herons, dwarfing other herons as well as its closest relatives, the egrets and bitterns. It is a wader and is often seen standing in or around water.
101 Ways to Help Birds
101 Ways to Help Birds
Amazon Price: $15.56 (as of 07/10/2009)
101 Ways to Help Birds offers 101 ways for individuals to help birds and bird populations as a whole, and it explains how these actions make a difference. Any bird lover knows that birds and animals alike need our help. Without it, we will lose more and we've lost enough as it is.
Have you seen any interesting birds lately?
naturegirl7 wrote...
Welcome to the Naturally Native Squids group. Don't forget to add your lens link to the appropriate plexo and vote for it.
Posted January 26, 2009
JaguarJulie wrote...
What a cute picture -- keep it up! Suitable for framing.
Posted October 11, 2008
CoolFoto wrote...
Hi- I lensrolled you to my sandhill crane lens. We have them in Florida, too.
Posted October 05, 2008
Gandree wrote...
I have seen quite a few of these in Florida over the last few years. I wouldn't be surprised if some of ours don't migrate. I know they raise young here as I've seen them with their parents. They really are great birds.
Posted September 27, 2008
About the Author
Lensmaster ElizabethJeanAllen, aka Lizzy Jean, has been a member since March 16 2008, has rated 3,690 lenses, favorited 454, and has created 169 lenses from scratch. Lizzy Jean donates their royalties to Squidoo Charity Fund. This member's top-ranked page is "The Mallard Duck". See all my lenses
Why Birds Do That
Why Birds Do That: 40 Distinctive Bird Behaviors Explained & Photographed
Amazon Price: $12.44 (as of 07/10/2009)
Birds are fascinating. Their behavior is complex, often comical. Some sing while others do not. Why Birds Do That explains forty distinctive bird behaviors and is enhanced with numerous photographs. It is a must have book for both the backyard bird watcher as well as the avid birder.
Resources used to construct this page.
Peterson, T.P. & Peterson, V.M. 2002. Birds of Eastern and Central North America, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, N.Y.
Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology
Seattle Audubon Society
by ElizabethJeanAllen
I tell my students to Learn from the Past, Live in the Present, and Plan for the Future. With Squidoo I can do all three.
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