What is a crane?

The Sandhill Crane, grus canadensis , is a large, gray bird endemic for North America and northeast Siberia. It is located on open grass stands, meadows and wetlands and is known for its mass migration. There are six subspecies of crane cranes, three of which do not migrate. The average length of the bird is 47 inches (120 cm) and the weight is about £ 11 (5 kg). Crane's Wingspan is about 6.5 feet (2 m).

The bird's forehead is red and the cheeks are white. The youth birds are gray and brown, but they do not have face colors on adults. The crane, which lives for up to 20 years, first behaves at the age of 2 to 7 years. Soldered couples remain all year round and migrate with their offspring. The eggs are light brown with darker brown brands. When babies hatch, they are covered down. They can walk soon after hatching and start feeding the next day. The man defends her nest until the children start to fly, about 70 days after hatching.

cranes are often spoJeny with a courtship is known for dance. Dance is part of the rituals of mating birds, but is not always related to breeding. Cranes will dance before they are sexually mature and during all seasons.

The primary diet of Sandhill is grains, seeds and some insects. Sometimes they will eat mice, snakes and other small animals. It is also known that birds feed on plant tubers and agricultural seeds such as corn.

650,000 individuals are estimated. The bird population is considered to be stable and growing. Three non -migrate subspecies are Mississippi, Cuban and Florida cranes. Smaller, larger and Canadian subspecies are migratory and spend winter in the southern United States and Northern Mexico.

In migration, birds often gather in large numbers. Up to 450,000 individual birds - estimates 80 percent of the world's population - the Platte Sandstones in Nebraska pass every year. Birds are beginning to come to spring migration at the end of February and leave for mid -April. During migration in the fall, birds will start to come koNEM September and continues until mid -December. Birds usually remain only overnight during this migration.