Reader Stephen Barnard, who lives in a wildlife paradise in Idaho, sent not only a nice picture of two sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis), but also a video of the same birds duetting.
He notes:
These birds have the loudest call of any bird I know of. You can hear them from a mile away.
And, from Wikipedia:
This crane frequently gives a loud trumpeting call that suggests a French-style “r” rolled in the throat, and they can be heard from a long distance. Mated pairs of cranes engage in “unison calling.” The cranes stand close together, calling in a synchronized and complex duet. The female makes two calls for every single call of the male.
Well, I don’t see exactly that behavior, but maybe thery’re not a mated pair. Anyway, one of them is calling three times.
And this:
Sandhill Cranes are quite catholic in diet but are mainly herbivorous. . .
I suppose that means that they eat wafers as well as fish on Friday.
Their range map from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology:
We have these pass thorugh every Spring abd Fall. We also have had a local pair for the last few years (summer residents.) They are wonderful. It still amazes me that Minnesota allowed a hunting season on them a few years back! (I guess some people can’t think of anything animals are good for other than putting a hook or bullet into them!)
Jerry,
Should you be looking for an interesting trip sometime, drive north into Wisconsin and visit the International Crane Foundation near Baraboo.
https://www.savingcranes.org
I live less than a two-hour drive from Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, which is one of their main wintering areas.
They are quite the sight, and they attract birders from all over the world. L
Lucky you! 🙂
Yes, very. Also, since winter is downtime for the farm, I’m able to go there and birdwatch.
We also have a few hoopers, which were originally fostered by sandhills, and now use the same migratory routes. It has been a lot of fun watching the hoopers recover their numbers.
Most of my birding is done close to home, so I don’t get to see a lot of waterfowl as a rule. But, I try to get to B del A at least once during the winter. L
So, Linda, did you drop everything to go look for the famous photobombing rufous-necked wood-rail?
Sorry, no.
If I don’t milk the goats, they dry up, along with my income. L
I imagine they’d probably get pretty upset at being neglected, too.
b&
Nice. These beauties are common year round in my area. They are one of those birds that makes me think, “yeah, birds are definitely dinosaurs.”
I always think that herons look like pterodactyls when they fly.
Exactly. Not actually dinosaurs of course, but close enough for evoking a certain, errr . . . mood. Like when you were a child watching a Doug McClure adventure like The Land That Time Forgot. Or something like that.
I loved that show as a kid!
Not sure what their normal cruising altitude is but often I can hear them calling for several minutes without being able to see them at all, which is mysterious and sounds wonderful. While sometimes I’ll see a flock of very small specks very high in the sky.
Sandhill Cranes are reluctant to take off when they’re spooked. I think it’s because they’re large birds so it take a lot of energy. Once they do take off, it takes them a long time to gain altitude. Trumpeter swans and other large birds act the same. (That makes them easy targets for jump hunters.) After the cranes gain altitude, they’re excellent soaring birds. I’ll soon see then gathering into high-altitude soaring flocks (or more likely family units), preparing to migrate south.
I’m pretty sure this is a mated pair. I saw them again this evening, close up in poor light. They’re getting used to me and my d*gs.
Jerry, their duet calls more resemble the Wikipedia description when they’re flying. They call continuously while flying.
Cornell’s map needs some adjustment. Sandhills winter in the Phoenix area, and have since I can remember.
I understand they’re particularly fond of the Water Ranch in Gilbert — as are a great many other species, large and small. I’ve only been there a couple times…I need to make time to hang out there for, like every day for a week or three at a time….
b&
Actually, while the Water Ranch is indeed a great birding spot, and I can recommend it highly to anyone in the Phoenix metro area, I’ve never seen a crane there, Ben. Most of my observations have been SW of Phoenix, more in the Arlington area.
“Sandhill Cranes are quite catholic in diet …”
Does that mean no meat on Fridays?
Just fish. You know, beaver and things like that.
hahahahaha!
I think they are similar to storks: Hoover up anything that comes within reach!
I once saw a Canada Goose fly out of a nest box to attack a Sandhill Crane. The crane would probably make short work of a fledgling.
So that’s what that noise is? I’ve only been in Florida for a few years, so some of the sounds of nature down here still confuse me. Every so often I’ve heard that croak/rattle sound outside. It sounded to me like nothing so much as a frog. It drives the dog nuts. Given where we are, though, it makes more sense that it’s a crane. We have a couple varieties locally, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard them calling when I’ve been near.
“Trumpeting” is not the word I would choose to describe a French “r”. In any case, it sounds more like an oboe to me.
Maybe whoever wrote the Wikipedia entry conversed with very strange French speakers who were really Sandhill Cranes. 😀
Or very strange trumpeters.
I could name some names, but probably shouldn’t….
b&
On many occasions, we’ve had our resident pair lfy up our (quiet, residential) street, 10-feet off the ground, calling away. They are magnificent beasts.
It’s legal to hunt Sandhill Cranes in Idaho, and I don’t approve of it.
“Sandhill Cranes are quite catholic in diet …”
Really? They don’t appear overweight, sweaty, and dressed for fabulous, nor do I see a lust for children in their eyes.
There are cranes at Whitewater Draw near Willcox, AZ in most winters. There’s even an annual festival to celebrate them:
https://www.wingsoverwillcox.com/
Whitewater Draw is a semi-natural wetland (once natural, then destroyed by pumping, now maintained artificially). In addition to cranes, January visitors can see snow geese, various waterfowl and shorebirds, and several species of owls and hawks. The swirling flocks of cranes and their wild High Plains voices are unforgettable.
Thanks for that! I’ve set a reminder for me to check into registration when they open it up in September.
b&
Assisted by their crazy-long tracheae!
That’s interesting. I thought they must have some special apparatus. The loud call is obviously (to me) a very important part of the cranes’ behavioral repertoire, and it’s a little puzzling because it alerts anyone nearby to their presence. They can easily escape typical predators, like coyotes, but not so easily a hunter with a shotgun.
Reblogged this on Mark Solock Blog.