October 9, 2002

• 
  

  hand-feeding the giant birds i came home from work yesterday and this couple were in my front yard, so i decided to feed them and get some pictures. (the male is the one eating from my hand and the female is the one eating off the ground.) they’re not very timid birds when it comes to people, but when a man walking his dog went by, they started calling and making a ruckus. they sound like a cross between a lawnmower and something in jurassic park…not to mention VERY LOUD. the male let loose with a cry and it just about left my ears ringing. i see them around mostly in the spring and fall. An archaic bird, the sandhill crane seems somehow reptilian. Remains have been found in sediments from the Eocene period, some 55 million years ago. Five subspecies of sandhill cranes are generally recognized. Two, the Florida sandhill crane and the Cuban sandhill crane, are non-migratory and are considered rare by the U S Fish and Wildlife Service Fewer than 600 Florida cranes and less than 100 Cuban cranes are known to exist. Identification Tips: Length: 37 inches Wingspan: 80 inches Large, long-legged, long-necked bird Long, pointed bill Holds neck straight both at rest and in flight, not tucking it in like herons do Dark gray legs extended in flight Long, fluffy tertials droop down over tail and primaries just found this…click here to hear them!!

  • 9:19 am
  • 42 Comments