Wildlife Wednesday 01/08/2025
Happy #WildlifeWednesday!
The Sandhill Crane is a tall elegant bird with a heavy body, soaring 6-foot wingspan, red crown of feathers on its head, and a fluffy bustle of gray plumage at its back end.
This graceful long-necked avian has a loud rolling trumpet-like vocalization that can be heard for miles. Mated pairs will engage in unison calling, standing close to each other and bugling a duet.
They live in open habitats near water and can be easy to spot. Look for them in wet meadows, prairies, marshes, bogs, and moist fields with standing water. They are quite social and form enormous flocks, sometimes numbering in the tens of thousands.
Sandhill Cranes are known for their elaborate courtship dances. Displaying cranes stretch out their wings and necks, pump their heads, leap into the air, circle one another, and bend in a low bow. The dancing strengthens the pair bond, as they are monogamous and mate for life.
Saw what I believe was a sandhill crane fly to and perch on the peak of my neighbor’s house in Brewster. It paused for about 10 minutes then flew away. I did not see an obvious red head patch so it may have been an adolescent. I live in a residential neighborhood on the north side of Brewster about 1/2 mile from Brewster lake.