Sandhill Crane

I had a lot of fun last autumn with migrating sandhill cranes. One morning I was crouching behind some bushes for cover and they were flying out of their night-time roost and coming right overhead, just a meters above my head. Wind in the wings, the calls, a beautiful morning. Kind of wished I could fly with them! Alice, Exactly. Planes are built so the greatest weight is centered over the wings (engines, fuel tanks, etc.) Birds are built the same way. Think about the fact that they don't have a mammal's heavy teeth and supporting jawbone in their beak. Instead they have a gizzard, which can now be put closer to the wings and the bird's center of gravity. It's pretty amazing stuff.