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Sandhill cranes are one of the oldest bird species, with fossils dating back at least 2.5 million years. Some scientists speculate they may be up to six million years old.
Tenth and last image in my Bird Art series...
I end this long series with these iconic cranes shown in a wet field on an April day. They had migrated from the south and were looking for insects and food in the soggy ground.
Found in large numbers all across North America, the Sandhill cranes are very large in size, are very hardy, and have a rattling bugle call that can be heard over a two-mile distance!
Thank you, my Flickr friends, for all your views and comments covering this 10-image series :)
The cranes are more or less rare birds here in my area, but the last two/three years they seem to return in the spring. They are fantastic birds, a bit shy and it's hard to get close to them so I was lucky seeing them flying by when I was out with my big lens.
This concludes my brief wetlands birds series. From Conservation International:
"The species found in wetlands are some of the most unique in the world because they’ve evolved specifically to survive in these hydrologically changing ecosystems. Alligators, crocodiles, muskrats, nutrias, fish species and hundreds of birds, including mallards, geese and herons are all found in wetlands. More than half of the 800 species of protected migratory birds in the U.S. rely on wetlands. The vegetation found in wetlands is also unique as they have evolved to survive in seasonally flooded and saline conditions. Some examples include the cattail in freshwater wetlands and mangrove species in coastal wetlands."
One of those protected species that relies on wetlands is the endangered Whooping Crane, shown here near the gulf coast of Texas.
Not all cranes fly to warmer countries for the winter. Some of them stay in the country where they were born and where they later raise their young.
WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre.
What3Words
///trailers.ripen.grownup
The Common Crane (Grus grus), also known as the Eurasian crane, is a large, graceful, migratory bird with a distinctive trumpeting call that is widespread across Europe and Asia. Known for its elaborate courtship dances and conservation success story in areas where it had previously become extinct, it is classified as a species of Least Concern globally.
Key Characteristics and Appearance:
Size:
As the UK's tallest bird, the common crane stands around 110–120 cm (about 4 feet) tall, with a large wingspan of 220–250 cm (7-8 feet).
Plumage:
It is mostly slate-grey, with a black and white head and upper neck, and a notable bare red patch on its crown.
Distinctive Feature: Adults have elegant, drooping, curved tail feathers (actually elongated inner wing feathers or tertials) that form a "bustle".
In Flight:
Unlike herons, cranes fly with their long necks and legs fully outstretched. They often travel in large, V-shaped formations and can reach astonishing altitudes of up to 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) during migration.
Habitat and Diet:
Common cranes are highly adaptable, inhabiting a variety of wetlands, including bogs, marshes, and swampy forest clearings during the breeding season. During migration and winter, they often gather in large flocks in open areas, such as agricultural fields and floodplains, where they can forage for food and roost in shallow water for safety.
They are omnivorous, with their diet changing seasonally. They primarily eat plant matter like roots, seeds, and grains, supplementing this with animal prey such as insects, snails, amphibians, and small rodents, especially when breeding and feeding their young.
Behavior and Life Cycle
Sociality:
Common cranes are territorial during the breeding season but become very social, forming large flocks during migration and wintering.
Courtship:
They are famous for their elaborate "dances," which involve bobs, bows, pirouettes, and throwing vegetation in the air. This behavior serves to reinforce lifelong monogamous pair bonds and can occur at almost any time of year.
Reproduction:
Pairs typically lay one or two eggs in a large nest built on the ground in shallow water. Both parents incubate the eggs for about a month, and the chicks fledge around 9-10 weeks of age, remaining with their parents through their first winter.
Lifespan:
In the wild, they typically live for about 13 years on average, though they can reach up to 26 years.
WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre.
What3Words
///trailers.ripen.grownup
The Common Crane (Grus grus), also known as the Eurasian crane, is a large, graceful, migratory bird with a distinctive trumpeting call that is widespread across Europe and Asia. Known for its elaborate courtship dances and conservation success story in areas where it had previously become extinct, it is classified as a species of Least Concern globally.
Key Characteristics and Appearance:
Size:
As the UK's tallest bird, the common crane stands around 110–120 cm (about 4 feet) tall, with a large wingspan of 220–250 cm (7-8 feet).
Plumage:
It is mostly slate-grey, with a black and white head and upper neck, and a notable bare red patch on its crown.
Distinctive Feature: Adults have elegant, drooping, curved tail feathers (actually elongated inner wing feathers or tertials) that form a "bustle".
In Flight:
Unlike herons, cranes fly with their long necks and legs fully outstretched. They often travel in large, V-shaped formations and can reach astonishing altitudes of up to 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) during migration.
Habitat and Diet:
Common cranes are highly adaptable, inhabiting a variety of wetlands, including bogs, marshes, and swampy forest clearings during the breeding season. During migration and winter, they often gather in large flocks in open areas, such as agricultural fields and floodplains, where they can forage for food and roost in shallow water for safety.
They are omnivorous, with their diet changing seasonally. They primarily eat plant matter like roots, seeds, and grains, supplementing this with animal prey such as insects, snails, amphibians, and small rodents, especially when breeding and feeding their young.
Behavior and Life Cycle
Sociality:
Common cranes are territorial during the breeding season but become very social, forming large flocks during migration and wintering.
Courtship:
They are famous for their elaborate "dances," which involve bobs, bows, pirouettes, and throwing vegetation in the air. This behavior serves to reinforce lifelong monogamous pair bonds and can occur at almost any time of year.
Reproduction:
Pairs typically lay one or two eggs in a large nest built on the ground in shallow water. Both parents incubate the eggs for about a month, and the chicks fledge around 9-10 weeks of age, remaining with their parents through their first winter.
Lifespan:
In the wild, they typically live for about 13 years on average, though they can reach up to 26 years.
Cranes, First Light. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.
The first morning sunlight on a flock of sandhill cranes standing in a wetlands pond.
The light and atmosphere were a bit unusual on this morning. There was just a bit of ground fog, along with some general haze. As the sun came up, a thin layer of clouds to the east over the Sierra Nevada blocked the direct sunlight. These factors combined to produce a very muted and subdued quality as I photographed groups of sandhill cranes in ponds at this wetlands location, standing in groups and occasionally flying off.
As I photographed in this subtle light I knew that eventually the sun would rise about that eastern cloud deck, and that this would produce a few moments of very warm-colored light that was still softened by the haze and fog. I made this photograph of the cranes just as that first direct sunlight arrived.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
The Crane Hawk is a medium-sized raptor native to Central and South America, ranging from Mexico to northern Argentina. Its uniquely flexible, double-jointed legs allow it to bend and extend its knee and ankle joints with remarkable agility. This adaptation enables the hawk to forage in tree cavities, crevices, and dense vegetation, reaching into hidden spaces to capture prey like lizards, snakes, and insects—an ability that allows it to forage where other raptors can't.
Neotropic Photo Tours. www.neotropicphototours.com
A pair of sandhill cranes engage in the avian equivalent of a WWE* match, while the two cranes on the left provide commentary on the interaction. Several sports betting companies have expressed interest in providing wagering opportunities on the outcome of these antagonistic behaviors, though numerous details still need to be worked out.
*World Wrestling Entertainment, also an influencer of American politics
Press L
The two are either early returnees or have stayed here over the winter. But I think they are returnees because I didn't see or hear any cranes at this place in January
Kraniche
Die zwei sind entweder frühe Rückkehrer oder sind den Winter über hier geblieben. Ich glaube aber Rückkehrer denn im Januar hatte ich an dieser Stelle keine Kraniche gesehen oder gehört.
2T5A9640
Anfang Februar, so früh habe ich hier in der Westpfalz noch nie Kraniche gesehen.
At the beginning of February, I have never seen migrating cranes so early here in the Western Palatinate.
Quite a surprise for me! First time I've seen Cranes (to my memory), and probably the last!
Taken from one end of a field with the birds at the other end, so please excuse the quality of shot!
Cranes (latin Grus Grus) are the tallest birds to come to Britain at 1.2 metres. There are around only 30 breeding pairs in the UK.
Crane Departure, Morning. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Sandhill cranes take to the air in morning light above Central Valley wetlands.
In my experience, bird photography often involves a whole lot of sitting around, thinking about where the birds might be, stopping and watching and hoping that they will engage in some interesting behavior. The actual picture making can take up a small percentage of the total time on task, with vast slow times in between. (And that’s not even counting the long drives — usually in the dark — to get there and back.)
My photographs of sandhill cranes on this autumn morning might be illustrative. I drove two hours in darkness to get here a half hour before dawn. I followed a levee road out into agricultural and wetland country, not seeing all that many birds, at least not of the sort I was looking for. Eventually, in a place where I was not necessarily expecting to find them, I came upon a large flock of sandhill cranes in a pond. It was still before sunrise when I decided to stop and see what developed here. I made a few quick images in the low light, but then I mostly just sat there and… watched. Eventually some of the birds became more active and a bit later the first semi-directional sunrise light came weakly through the fog. And a few minutes after that happened small groups of the birds began to depart. Then they were gone and… not much else happened until I left a few hours later.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.