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Wildlife
- Birds - |
Sandhill Crane
(Grus canadensis) M |
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RANGE: Breeds from western and central Alaska and
northern Yukon to Baffin Island, south locally to southern
Alaska, northeastern California, Colorado, southern Minnesota,
southern Michigan, and western Quebec. Resident from southern
Mississippi, southern Alabama, and southern Georgia south to
Florida. Winters from central California and southeastern
Arizona to the Gulf Coast and southern Georgia south to Mexico.
STATUS: Northern subspecies (Lesser, Canadian, and Greater) are
migratory and locally common, while nonmigratory subspecies
(Cuban, Florida, and Mississippi) are threatened or endangered.
HABITAT: Inhabits prairies, tundra, open pinewood flats, and
other open areas. Breeds in or near shallow marshes, bogs,
sloughs, margins of lakes, ponds, and river deltas. In
mountainous regions, inhabits isolated, well-watered river
valleys, marshes, and meadows. Occasionally inhabits relatively
small marshes and patches of prairie in forested country. During
winter, roosts in flocks at night on low damp ground or in
shallow water, and flies to feeding grounds at dawn.
SPECIAL HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Shallow wetlands adjacent to a
meadow, cultivated fields, or open woodlands and free of human
disturbance.
NEST: Usually nests in or near shallow wetlands adjacent to
feeding grounds. Nests are located on a mound of emergent
vegetation, sticks, grass, moss, or mud among rushes, sedges,
grasses or other tall, dense vegetation. Pairs mate for life.
FOOD: Feeds in cultivated fields, pastures, wet meadows, and
marshes. Eats wheat, corn, alfalfa, sorghum, barley, roots and
tubers, berries, small mammals, snakes, frogs, lizards,
crickets, and grasshoppers.
REFERENCES: Archibald in Farrand 1983a, Cramp and Simmons 1980,
Johnsgard 1975a, Lewis 1977, Terres 1980, Walkinshaw 1949. |
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