Sandhill Cranes
These magnificent birds are noted for their elaborate courtship displays. Two displays are used to form mating pairs while three other displays occur only between males and serve to maintain the pair bond.
A crane fossil approximately 10 million years old was found in Nebraska and is structurally identical the the modern Sandhill Crane, making it the oldest known bird species still surviving.
Eye color in adults varies from yellow-orange (here) to deep scarlet (see last crane image).
Beneath the sternum of these cranes is an extra-long looped trachea that gives these birds the ability to emit a unique cry that is audible from a mile away, or more. (The deeper, richer trumpet of the Whooping Crane is achieved through a double loop.)
When Sandhill Cranes are pairing off, they punctuate their courting dance by calling together - a lengthy, complex alternation of unison calling and call-and-response, with both male and female adopting a specific and little-varied set of postures.
The cranes dance is associated with, but not limited to, courtship. An individual may begin to dance; then other cranes become affected by the excitement, and soon the entire flock may be hopping up and down, bowing low, broad-jumping, and running around in circles.
Preening those all-important feathers
Along the Eastern Seaboard Sandhills are merely casual or accidental wanderers, except in Florida, where the local, non-migratory population is augmented in the winter months by migrants from the northern interior.
Deep scarlet iris color in this bird compared with the yellow-orange color on the bird two images above.
In our pond
No comments:
Post a Comment