One of many sandhill cranes you may see while driving through Fossil Rim.

Animal of the Month: Sandhill Crane

At one time these birds were wing clipped to keep them from flying away. They have long ago grown in new wing feathers and I have observed them flying off until they became mere dots on the horizon, but they always come back. They now make their yearly nest on an island near the Foothills Safari Camp. Most years they will lay two eggs but haven’t been greatly successful in raising the chicks to adulthood. The chicks that have survived to maturity are allowed to remain with Mom and Dad until they are 10 or 11 months old and then sent off with the next migrating flock flying overhead. The chicks are bright orange balls of fluff and follow mom and dad around learning how to choose their diet.

Sandhills are natives of Canada, Alaska and Northeastern Siberia, they stand four feet high and weigh around 10 pounds. The primary distinguishing characteristic is a bright red patch on the top of their heads. They have the longest migratory route of any crane – about 14,000 miles round trip. Contact calls are low pitched, soft, and haunting, allowing the birds to keep in contact with each other, either in flight or even in the deep grass or reeds when they can’t see each other.

Keep a lookout for them on your next trip and see if you are one of the people who get an infrequent chance to see this thrilling sight. If they appeal to you, as they often can touch many of us, then you may want to learn how to fold one out of paper. This ancient art of paper folding is called Origami and a gift of a thousand paper cranes is thought to bring luck to the receiver.