Intent to Fly
Mark this one down to identifiable Sandhill Crane behavior.
I had no end of delight showing this to others while at Creamer's Field during the autumn crane migration from Alaska to the lower 48. The behavior being exhibited by the crane to the left is "Intent to fly," that is, it is telling the others in its group that it wants to fly away and is pointing in the direction of flight. Note how the neck is more of a diagonal than the other two cranes. Less than two seconds after displaying this posture, the small group of cranes took to the air. There were a few times where the small group - sometimes just two - decided not to fly off. When the group agrees, they all assume this "leaning" posture and then fly off. When one in the group doesn't want to fly they don't change their posture, essentially saying, "Yeah, not right now."
Taken 21 August 2021 at Creamer's Field, Fairbanks, Alaska.
Intent to Fly
Mark this one down to identifiable Sandhill Crane behavior.
I had no end of delight showing this to others while at Creamer's Field during the autumn crane migration from Alaska to the lower 48. The behavior being exhibited by the crane to the left is "Intent to fly," that is, it is telling the others in its group that it wants to fly away and is pointing in the direction of flight. Note how the neck is more of a diagonal than the other two cranes. Less than two seconds after displaying this posture, the small group of cranes took to the air. There were a few times where the small group - sometimes just two - decided not to fly off. When the group agrees, they all assume this "leaning" posture and then fly off. When one in the group doesn't want to fly they don't change their posture, essentially saying, "Yeah, not right now."
Taken 21 August 2021 at Creamer's Field, Fairbanks, Alaska.