heading north

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Recently, while doing some winter cleanup in the yard, my attention was suddenly drawn to the sound of Sandhill Cranes above.  While I couldn't see them, their vibrant trumpeting sound (garoo-oo-a-a-a-a) echoed across the sky.  I finally put down my rake and scoured the sky for a glimpse of the action.  Soon enough I could see a large group, calling and circling.  The next 15 minutes I stood transfixed, watching as more and more Sandhill Cranes joined the circling force, noisily calling.  The circling continued into an ever tightening group and then suddenly, as if on magic cue, the group split into several V formations and headed north.

The Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis), are a common traveler along the Pacific Flyway.  The sound of their calls on a cloudy night are often the first indication that fall migration has started here in our area of Northern California.   The Sandhill Cranes winter in the Central Valley of California and then travel north in the late winter to their nesting grounds as far north as parts of Alaska.  They are commonly seen during the migration period resting and foraging in the marsh lands or flooded rice fields.



Sandhill Cranes are believed to mate for life.   They are amongst the oldest living birds on the planet.  An adult measures between 34 to 48 inches in height with a 6 to 7 foot wingspan.  They are gray in color with a red patch of bare red skin on the crown.  Immatures are a pinkish brown with a feathered crown.  They are spectacular dancers and perform courtship rituals that include elaborate leaps in the air with bowed wings.  Though commonly associated with courtship, dancing can occur at any age and season. Dancing is believed to be a normal part of crane development and helps relieve tension and aggression as well as strengthening the pair bond.

Due to hunting and loss of wetland habitat, certain species of the Sandhill Cranes across the United Sates had become endangered by the mid 1900s.  Most of these populations have made significant comebacks.   California listed the Greater Sandhill Cranes as a California threatened species.  They are also listed as a Fully Protected Species.  There appears to be an ever increasing number of the Sandhill Cranes visible on the winter landscape here in Butte County where they tend to return to the same favorite stopovers each year.   The next time you hear that trumpeting sound from the skies, think about the perseverance of a species that, according to fossil findings, has inhabited this earth for 10 million years!



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