Why Are Sandhill Cranes So Cool?
- Blog
- 27 Sep, 2022
Meet the Sandhill Crane, the Boeing 737 of the marshes and fields. While they, like many other bird species in North America, were once in danger of extirpation, the population has been growing in recent years. Cranes are one of the most interesting bird species to observe due to their high visibility and unique behaviors. Sandhill cranes breed in Canada and the northern United States, but migrate to the southern US and northern Mexico for the winter. If you live in the US, you probably don’t live too far from a place where cranes can be found.
The most obvious feature of the sandhill crane is its size. They stand 3 to 5 feet tall, can weigh up to 14 pounds and have a six foot wide wingspan. When they fly low overhead, you can often hear their wings pumping rhythmically through the air before you even see the cranes. They can fly at very high altitudes, especially during migration, and drop their legs and float down like a parachuter while landing.
Sandhill cranes also have an unmistakable call that is almost elephant-like. The unique vibrating call is made by the crane’s long trachea which coils in its chest! They can be heard for long distances and often call when disturbed by something they don’t like, such as a turkey decoy (who knew?!) or a person (speaking from personal experience here). Accidentally startling a large group of roosting cranes while you’re heading to your duck hunting spot at 4 AM can be a near-deafening experience (just preparing you for the inevitable if you hunt in the Great Lakes states).
The sandhill crane consumes an omnivorous diet of seeds, berries, small animals, invertebrates, tubers and nuts. They can be problematic for farmers by eating their newly seeded grains such as corn, but there are chemicals on the market such as Avipel used to coat seeds and discourage the cranes from eating them. Cranes forage in marshes, wetlands and open fields. They have incredibly sharp eyesight which helps them stay vigilant for predators and also forage.
The breeding behavior of sandhill cranes is quite unique, as well. Cranes mate for life (20-40 years!!) and display for their mates with behavioral displays known as “dancing,” which involves head bobbing, wing spreading, bowing, jumping and tossing vegetation into the air. When the pair makes its nest at the edge of a wetland, nesting materials are tossed over the cranes’ shoulders into a mound and then formed into a nest cup. The female lays 1-3 eggs, but typically only one of the chicks will survive to fledging. Chicks are a reddish-brown color and stay with their parents until the following breeding season.
The International Crane Foundation estimates that the continent-wide population numbers about 827,000 individuals. This is made up of several sub-populations, including the Eastern, Central Valley, Mid-Continent, Florida, Pacific Coast, Rocky Mountain, Lower Colorado River Valley and the endangered Mississippi population. Crane conservation faces obstacles such as habitat loss and modification, which is always something that can be worked toward improving. There are currently 17 states that allow sandhill crane hunting in some capacity, many of which have very limited hunting opportunity. Sandhill crane hunting is similar to other types of waterfowl hunting: finding where the cranes want to be, using decoys and excellent blind-brushing skills are a must.
Whether you plan to sample the “ribeye of the sky” or not, there’s something special about watching sandhill cranes and their unique behaviors, from the dancing on the breeding grounds to the tens of thousands of birds that gather on winter ranges. Next time one lands too close to your duck hunting hiding spot, one look at its sharp eyes and red head will make you re-think whether dinosaurs really are extinct.
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