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The
Sandhill Crane, Grus canadensis, is a large crane. Adults
are grey; they have a red crown, white cheeks and a long
dark pointed bill. They have long dark legs which trail
behind in flight and a long neck that is kept straight
in flight. Immature birds do not have a red crown; they
have reddish brown upperparts and grey underparts. Their
breeding habitat is marshes and bogs in central and northern
Canada, Alaska, part of the midwestern and southeastern
United States and Siberia. They nest in marsh vegetation
or on the ground close to water. The female lays 2 eggs
on a mound of vegetation. Both parents feed the young
who are soon able to feed themselves. The young birds
migrate south with their parents. Birds on the Gulf of
Mexico are permanent residents. Others migrate to the
southwestern United States south to Mexico. The Platte
River in the American midwest is an important stopover
for up to 450,000 of these birds during migration. This
crane is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. |
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These
birds forage while walking in shallow water or in fields,
sometimes probing with their bills. They are omnivorous,
eating insects, aquatic plants and animals, rodents, seeds
and berries. Outside of the nesting season, they forage
in large flocks, often in cultivated areas. This crane
frequently gives a loud trumpeting call that suggests
a French-style "r" rolled in the throat. Sandhill
Cranes in flight can be differentiated from herons in
that they fly with their necks extended and by their nearly
constant calls. |
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