Sandhill Crane Migration

 

One of the most exciting sounds in nature is the "kar-r-r-r- o-o-o" of Sandhill Cranes flying overhead in their spring and fall migration. We heard some today at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve. Sandhill Cranes are large birds which have mostly grayish feathers-- the shade of gray can vary widely. The forehead has a bright red patch that is one of the most noticeable features of the bird, while the cheeks are white. Sandhills fly with neck and legs extended.

Although the feathers are gray, sometimes they can have a reddish-brown appearance. Sandhill Cranes preen themselves by rubbing mud on their feathers. The mud can be brown or red, and comes from iron rich environments, producing the reddish tinge. As the cranes molt the red will disappear.

Sandhill Cranes are opportunistic feeders and change their diet based on what is available. They most often eat plants and grains, but also dine on invertebrates or even small mammals, amphibians and reptiles. If you are searching for them, look primarily in fields of corn stubble, rather than soybean fields.

Three subpopulations of Sandhill Cranes are migratory. The Lesser, Greater and Canadian Sandhill Cranes spend winters in the south and summers at their breeding grounds. Sandhill cranes winter in Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico. In the early spring, the cranes begin the migration to their breeding grounds. Throughout the spring, the cranes can be seen resting and feeding along rivers and wetlands throughout the Great Plains and Pacific Northwest. The largest congregation of Sandhill Cranes occurs from February to early April along the Platte River in Nebraska. During the late spring, summer and early fall, Sandhill Cranes can be seen at their breeding grounds, in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Others breed in Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. Although the majority of migration routes are in the Plains states, one route passes right over Kentucky. Major stopovers for these cranes are in northern Indiana (More than 10,000 sandhill cranes stop during fall migration at Jasper-Pulaski Wildife Area.) and eastern Tennessee (Hiwassee Refuge).

In the early spring, as Sandhill Cranes are migrating to their breeding grounds, single cranes will start pairing up. A Sandhill Crane pair performs unison calling to create a bond. When the pair reaches the northern breeding grounds, they mate and build a nest. During mating, Sandhill Cranes perform dancing displays. Although the dancing is most common in the breeding season, the cranes can dance all year long. Sometimes the dance involves wing flapping, bowing, jumps and simply playing around. They might also throw a stick or some plants into the air.

Sandhill Cranes have an interesting and distinctive call. Both the males and females make a rattling "kar-r-r-r- o-o-o" sound. The call varies in length, strength and loudness depending on its intention. The loudest and most noticeable call is during the mating season. Males and females will sing loudly and in unison. You can hear them calling high above even though you can't see them.

Habitat loss—due to destruction, fragmentation or degradation of habitat—is the primary threat to the survival of wildlife in the United States. When an ecosystem has been dramatically changed by human activities—such as agriculture, oil and gas exploration, commercial development or water diversion—it may no longer be able to provide the food, water, cover, and places to raise young. Every day there are fewer places left that wildlife can call home. The endangered Whooping Crane sometimes travels with a flock of Sandhills, but the are larger and white in color.

Naturally yours,

~denapple

Happy Groundhog Day!

February 2 is Groundhog's Day. Is everyone ready for a big party? No? Well, let's learn more about the groundhog itself. The groundhog (Marmota monax), also known as a woodchuck, whistle-pig, or in some areas as a land-beaver, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Although they burrow in the ground, they are able to climb trees.

The average groundhog excavates over 700 pounds of dirt digging just one den, and a single groundhog may have four or or five dens scattered across its territory, moving in and out of them as crops and weather change.The most common locations of permanent groundhog dens are fence lines and thickets bordering hay and corn fields, vegetable farms, and fruit orchards. Here tangles of multiflora rose, kudzu, honeysuckle and small trees provide the kind of cover that enable a groundhog to enter and leave its den, shielded from the rushing attack of farm dogs, coyotes, and fox. Groundhog burrows are important shelter resources for red fox, gray fox, opossum, raccoon, and skunk, most of whom do not dig their own burrows, but simply occupy those of groundhogs. Today, there are more groundhogs, red fox, gray fox, opossum and raccoon in the United States than at any previous time in U.S. history.

Groundhogs are vegetarians, eating leaves, flowers and soft stems of various grasses, and field crops such as clover and alfalfa. Certain garden crops like peas, beans and carrots are favorites. Groundhogs occasionally climb trees to obtain apples and pears -- one reason they are disliked by many orchard owners. Groundhogs are capable of consuming as much as three-fourths of a pound of vegetable matter a day -- the equivalent of a 175-pound person eating 15 pounds of salad a day. In order to maximize food intake, groundhogs will often dig summer burrows in the middle of pastures or meadows, so that that they do not have to go far to go to get to the "salad bar."

Groundhogs are considered a major agricultural pest in most areas, and most farmers are anxious to get rid of them or reduce their number. It is very common for a single groundhog to take a bite out of dozens of pumpkins in just a few days, ruining each of them for Halloween sale. The same kind of destruction is visited on bell peppers, squash and zucchini. 

Do groundhogs really predict the weather? Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grundsaudaag, Murmeltiertag) is a day celebrated on February 2. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early; if it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will continue for six more weeks. In Pennsylvania, it was a good reason for a party just when everyone was getting really tired of winter. You had to speak the Pennsylvania German dialect, and pay a penalty if you broke into English. Lots of good food and speeches (whether good or not) were the main attraction of the day, plus a trip in the snow to find a groundhog. Groundhogs hibernate during the winter, but wake up in early to mid-February when (you guessed it) it's time to find a mate and breed. The babies are born about a month later, and stay in the den for another 6 or 7 weeks. Think about it. February 2 is about half way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, so there will be 6 weeks until a new season no matter which way you add it up!