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Sandhill Crane

Grus canadensis tabida

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45.8195, -92.6548

Field Notes

Description:

The greater sandhill crane stands about 1.2 meters (3.75 feet) tall with some variation. The bird is generally gray with a red patch of scaly skin on the forehead, dark gray legs and bill. Breeding adults often smear mud into their feathers, however, turning their normally gray plumage a rusty brown.

Habitat:

Wetlands and upland meadows and agricultural fields.

Notes:

I was photographing sandhills during their southward migration. It was starting to get dark and I was packing up my gear, when I heard a flock on the other side of a row of trees calling as if they were taking off. I pulled the camera out of the pack and ratcheted up the ISO and snapped this photo as the emerged from above the trees.

Reference Links:

Sandhill Crane

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (3)
Gordon Dietzman
I've had several people suggest to me that this looks like stylized Japanese or Chinese characters. They may have slightly better imaginations than I, but it's fun to have seen several people come to the same conclusion independent of each other.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Birds of the World

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Photographed
PublishedMarch 2, 2012

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