Sandhill Crane -- the poor man's Whooping Crane

Pity the poor Sandhilll Cranes. They fly thousands of miles for their seasonal migration from as for North as Alaska only to arrive in Texas just in time for hunting season. As they duck and weave to avoid shotgun pellets, they should take some comfort knowing the hunters are using lead free shot.

As if we didn't already feel it in our bones, it's a sure sign of winter to humans who see the picturesque "V" formation as the majestic birds fly South.

The poor bird not only has to fly such a great distance just to stay warm, dodging hunters the whole way, but he has to endure the taunting whoops of his snobby cousin, the Whooping Crane with the privileged plumage of white feathers who glides safely across the U.S., living the good life behind that invisible shield created by the word, "Endangered."

Maybe Sandhill Cranes will live long enough to one day fly the "Endangered" banner, too. Irony happens. In the meantime, good luck to you ugly ducklings. And may all of your hunters be shooting cameras.

Comments

[Ellis Dee]

Sandhills are beautiful and certainly not ugly ducklings that warrant pity. Their numbers appear to be stable now...if not increasing. From Wikipdeia - Though the Sandhill Crane is not considered threatened as a species, the three southernmost subspecies are quite rare. While the migratory birds could at least choose secure breeding habitat, the resident populations could not, and many subpopulations were destroyed by hunting or habitat change. However, initially the Greater Sandhill crane proper suffered most from persecution; by 1940 probably fewer than 1,000 birds remained. They have since increased greatly again, though with nearly 100,000 individuals they are still less plentiful than the Lesser Sandhill Crane, which numbers over 400,000 individuals, making the species the most plentiful crane alive today.

[Ellis Dee]

Sandhills are beautiful and certainly not ugly ducklings that warrant pity. Their numbers appear to be stable now...if not increasing. From Wikipdeia - Though the Sandhill Crane is not considered threatened as a species, the three southernmost subspecies are quite rare. While the migratory birds could at least choose secure breeding habitat, the resident populations could not, and many subpopulations were destroyed by hunting or habitat change. However, initially the Greater Sandhill crane proper suffered most from persecution; by 1940 probably fewer than 1,000 birds remained. They have since increased greatly again, though with nearly 100,000 individuals they are still less plentiful than the Lesser Sandhill Crane, which numbers over 400,000 individuals, making the species the most plentiful crane alive today.

[Geo]

Very interesting, Ellis Dee. Thanks for the information.

[Sandhill cranes]

All 18 young whooping cranes that were led south from Wisconsin with an ultralight last fall were killed in a Florida storm. The other wild whooping crane flock in North America has about 237 birds and migrates from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast. A non-migratory flock in Florida has about 53 birds. If captive birds are counted, the number of whooping cranes in the world is 500.

[Crusies]

There are six subspecies of Sandhill Cranes of which three are migratory and three are non-migratory. Two of the non-migratory subspecies are endangered: the Mississippi and Cuban Sandhill Crane.

[Crusies]

The other wild whooping crane flock in North America has about 237 birds and migrates from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast. A non-migratory flock in Florida has about 53 birds

[Arches National Park]

Although migratory birds could at least choose breeding habitat safe, local people could not, and many sub-groups have been devastated by hunting and habitat modification. But in the first game of the Greater Sandhill Crane correct the brunt of the persecution in 1940, probably less than 1,000 birds remain.

[Best Ski Resorts]

Sandhill Crane is not considered threatened as a species, the three southernmost subspecies are quite rare. While the migratory birds could at least choose secure breeding habitat, the resident populations could not, and many subpopulations were destroyed by hunting or habitat change. However, initially the Greater Sandhill crane proper suffered most from persecution; by 1940 probably fewer than 1,000 birds remained.

[Travel to Europe]

Sandhill crane proper suffered most from persecution; by 1940 probably fewer than 1,000 birds remained. They have since increased greatly again, though with nearly 100,000 individuals they are still less plentiful than the Lesser Sandhill Crane, which numbers over 400,000 individuals, making the species the most plentiful crane alive today.

[Cozumel Hotels]

These birds will protect their young with passion, I was reading about a pair defening their only chick against two bull moose by attacking them without fear, first the male while the female took the chick to safety and then the female attacked. it seems both bulls got spooked for a long time as they started to avoid that location…