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Sandhill cranes stand about 3 to 4 feet tall, with a wingspan of about 6 feet. Males average 8 lbs and females 7. Wild sandhill cranes live for about 35 years. Once headed towards endangerment, their populations have held steady or increased over the last few decades. Adults have gray plumage with a white throat and a striking red crown of feathers on their forehead. Juveniles wear a lighter, rusty coat lacking the white and red patches on their head until they are about a year old. Active during the daytime, they spend most of their time resting, foraging for food, or socializing with our residents. Sandhill cranes are famous for their loud trumpeting calls. They make their trachea shorter or longer and control the pitch of their calls.
Does sandhill crane taste good? At the request of all local cranes, I leave this question unanswered. Plants comprise most of a sandhill crane’s diet, though it occasionally eats small mammals or amphibians. They may also eat cultivated food like corn and wheat.
Sandhill cranes typically find their mate during spring migration. Some find their mate as early as age two, and nearly all are paired by age eight. Males perform a courtship dance and will stretch their wings, leap, and bow. Once the female is satisfied with his performance, the two mate and generally maintain a life-long bond with their partner. I don’t know how the males know when the females are satisfied.
The female lays between one and three eggs a year. Chicks are born precocial, or already covered in down and can leave the nest within a day of hatching. They stay with the parents until a couple months before the following spring.
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