A Pair of Sarus Cranes taking flight
A beautiful large resident crane found in the country. They are quite tall, around 5 ft. 11 in and are one of the tallest flying birds. In the northern part of the country, they are a conspicuous species in the countryside, especially around wetlands where they can be seen in pairs foraging in the fields with their beaks wet or stuck with mud. Few places, they are quite close to the farmers who ignored these birds and were tending to their crop. But when we came a bit close (maybe 100 feet), they took flight. And they needed a fairly long runway compared to the other birds that I have seen till date or heard, taking almost 30-50 feet before they can actually get into the air.
This was a lifer to me and a target for long. And I was quite delighted with the sighting. The birds look quite delicate and I found their movements slow and graceful. The birds are thought to bond for life and it is believed that if one of the pair passes away, the other may even starve to death. Their courtship display is very interesting with the birds raising their wings half way, raising their head upwards and make a loud trumpeting call.
Thank you very much in advance for your views, faves and feedback.
A Pair of Sarus Cranes taking flight
A beautiful large resident crane found in the country. They are quite tall, around 5 ft. 11 in and are one of the tallest flying birds. In the northern part of the country, they are a conspicuous species in the countryside, especially around wetlands where they can be seen in pairs foraging in the fields with their beaks wet or stuck with mud. Few places, they are quite close to the farmers who ignored these birds and were tending to their crop. But when we came a bit close (maybe 100 feet), they took flight. And they needed a fairly long runway compared to the other birds that I have seen till date or heard, taking almost 30-50 feet before they can actually get into the air.
This was a lifer to me and a target for long. And I was quite delighted with the sighting. The birds look quite delicate and I found their movements slow and graceful. The birds are thought to bond for life and it is believed that if one of the pair passes away, the other may even starve to death. Their courtship display is very interesting with the birds raising their wings half way, raising their head upwards and make a loud trumpeting call.
Thank you very much in advance for your views, faves and feedback.