Sandhill Crane Hunting in Tennessee? Tennesseans Say No!

It is breeding season for sandhill cranes like so many other species.  Soon after sandhill crane chicks hatch they leave the nest and follow their parents to learn about their environment and what to eat and how to find food.

All sandhill family photos courtesy of Christy Yuncker

Sandhill cranes have a family life that we humans relate to easily.  They mate for life, live long lives, stay together as a family unit for many months, including when they migrate, and have a complex system of communication that includes posturing, dancing and many vocals that establish who they are and their breeding and feeding territory, helping to maintain order with their neighbors.

The male sandhill crane below is initiating a dance.

He gets the attention of his chick and the chick responds with excitement.

And tries to imitate the dance.

And practices.

In a few months, this family will join other families in their migration journey to warmer climates where food is available during the winter months.  It is during this migration journey that we have the opportunity to see sandhill cranes in Tennessee--a unique population of sandhill cranes known as the Eastern Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes.  This population was once on the brink of extinction.  With the help of wetland conservation, the establishment of hunting regulations and the sandhill crane's ability to adapt to human presence and smaller territories, this population has made a spectacular come back.  That is why Tennessee and visitors have been celebrating sandhill cranes for 22 years at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Southeast Tennessee.

There is no other species of bird in Tennessee that creates this kind of spectacle, offers this type of visibility, has a compelling conservation story, and affords us a viewing opportunity that we use to both celebrate and educate the public about wildlife and wildlife conservation in Tennessee.

Once again, a proposed sandhill crane season is on the table in Tennessee. The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is currently receiving comments about this proposed season.  The initiative for this hunt comes from a small group of hunters.  In fact, less than a majority of hunters in the state approve of hunting sandhill cranes (42%) while 35% are opposed, according to a recent TWRA survey of Tennessee residents.  That same survey revealed that 62% of Tennessee residents were opposed to sandhill crane hunting and 62% of wildlife watchers were opposed to hunting sandhill cranes.

Listen to the message in the video below and click on the Take Action Now link that follows.  The link will take you to a website with the email addresses of all the commissioners and give you a list of talking points to help you write your letters.  We want our Commissioners to know that this is not just about the "impact" to the Eastern Population of Sandhill Cranes--whether the population can sustain a hunt--this is also about the impact on people who have celebrated and revered sandhill cranes in Tennessee for more than 22 years.

Help us stop this hunt with your letters and phone calls.
 

TAKE ACTION NOW!

All of the sandhill crane family images in this post were taken by Christy Yuncker at Christy Yuncker Photo Journal   Visit her beautiful sandhill crane images and the story of the sandhill cranes that live on her property.

Results of Tennessee Resident and Hunter's Survey on Knowledge of and Opinions on Sandhill Cranes:  62% of residents are opposed to hunting sandhill cranes; only 42% of hunters support and 35% are opposed; 62% of wildlife watchers are opposed.

TN Ornithological Society's Position on Sandhill Crane Hunt

Report from University of Wisconsin, Madison.  Hunting could hurt genetic diversity.

Richard Simms Comments at Nooga.com

Wintering Sandhill Cranes:  three blog posts with close up photos and stories about sandhill cranes wintering at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge; first post is at the bottom

Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

Other posts on this blog discussing key issues in Tennessee's Sandhill Crane hunt proposal in 2010.
Sandhill Crane Hunting in Tennessee--Multiple Factors say No!
Greater Sandhill Crane--An Intimate View of Family Life

The history of sandhill crane hunt initiatives in the east at the Kentucky Coalition for Sandhill Cranes website

Summary of the 2011 USFWS National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Activity
Tennessee's Survey Results      To find your state click here

Tennessee Conservationist Features Majestic Sandhill Cranes

Louise Zepp, editor of the Tennessee Conservationist,  has selected "Tennessee's Majestic Sandhill Cranes" as the website's feature article for the November/December issue to help promote the Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival, scheduled for January 19th and 20th, 2013.

The most exciting part about being selected as the feature article is that the entire article is available for reading on line.   So visit the link provided below and enjoy!  The article features the Eastern Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes and their spectacular migration staging each fall when they stop to rest and feed at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge.  That collection of thousands of sandhill cranes creates a majestic spectacle that we all enjoy seeing and celebrating each year at our Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival.

The beautiful four-page layout includes six full color images, including my watercolor, "Sandhills Landing", depicting one of my favorite sandhill crane postures as they float down for a landing.

If you do not already subscribe to this beautiful magazine, you should, so also visit the subscription section while you are visiting the article at the website.

A special thank you, again, to Louise Zepp, TN Conservationist editor, for promoting our majestic sandhill cranes and the sandhill crane festival!

Links and Resources:
Visit my blog posts on sandhill cranes and the Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival  .
Visit this link to see my other Tennessee Conservationist articles.
The Tennessee Conservationist website

Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival and It's Cranes

A spectacular watchable wildlife event!   

Above you see thousands of sandhill cranes lifting off at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge as something unidentified stirs them all at once.  The rare Asian hooded crane, which was in clear view several times during the Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival on Saturday, is among the flying birds.  

The Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge is one of the largest sandhill crane staging areas in the east, second only to Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in Indiana.  Sandhill cranes stop-over at the Hiwassee Wildlife refuge near Dayton, TN to feed and rest as they migrate south to Georgia and Florida for the winter.  As many as 10,000 may remain, over-wintering in Tennessee.

Watching and listening as thousands of cranes take flight is an awe-inspiring experience.  I never fail to wonder how they keep from colliding.  With a wing span of 6-7 ft and so many in flight at once, it is certain they must bump each other. But clearly this doesn't interfere with their spectacular unison flight that at first travels in one direction, then divides into spiraling layers as they catch thermals and glide in search of another safe resting place (shown below).

More than 2200 people enjoyed the sandhill crane viewing at the festival on Saturday and close to that number were present on Sunday.

The festival was sponsored by the Tennessee Ornithological Society (TOS), Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and the Barbara J Mapp Foundation.  Two of these sponsors are represented in the image below.

From left to right:  John Noel (TOS), Melinda Welton (TOS), festival co-chair; Ed Carter, TWRA Executive Director (with raised glasses viewing the hooded crane), and Kirk Miles, TWRA Region III, Wildlife Program Manager.  Cyndi Routledge (TOS) also co-chaired the festival activities, along with Dan Hicks (TWRA).  Events were coordinated among three sites, the Birchwood School, the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge observation area, and the Cherokee Removal Memorial, where educational displays, interpreters, presentations and refreshments were available for festival participants.

According to the 2006 USF&WS Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Related Recreation, more than 87 million Americans or 38% of the U.S. population, age 16 or older, hunt, fish or observe wildlife, spending $120 billion.  This amount is "roughly equal to America's total spending at all spectator sports, casinos, motion pictures, golf courses, country clubs, amusement parks, and arcades combined,"  the survey reported. Within those wildlife related activities, 71 million or 31% of Americans observed wildlife and spent $45 billion.

Add to these economic benefits, known research that links positive health to nature-related activities including improved mental health, anti-aging benefits and enhanced child development, and we have a golden treasure in our migrating sandhill crane population that is truly hard to measure.

For me personally, having attended this festival since 1999, I enjoyed reuniting with many old friends and the opportunity to share crane stories with many new ones.  A special thank you to everyone that said "hello" and introduced themselves. It was a special treat to meet people who know me through my blog posts and to hear their comments!

Links and Resources:

Top Crane Posts on this blog:  Hooded Crane at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in TN
Crane Magic--Three Crane Species at Hiwassee.  Other posts on:  the Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival, Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge and sandhill cranes.

At my companion blog, Vickie's Sketchbook:  Sandhill Cranes and Art
Sandhill crane art in my website galleries

TN Sandhill Crane Festival Celebrates Three Crane Species

Make plans to join us at the Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival, January 14th and 15th at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge and celebrate three crane species!  

Photo credit: Mike Nelson (see links below).  A Greater Sandhill Crane flying over the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge.

The Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge has had a rare visitor that has stirred excitement in the bird-watching world.  A Hooded crane, native to Asia, has found its way to the refuge, located near Dayton and Birchwood, TN, along with thousands of sandhill cranes and the endangered Whooping cranes that visit the refuge in the winter months to rest and feed.
Photo credit:  Mike Nelson.   Hooded crane (dark gray with white neck) with sandhill cranes at Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee. 

As of January 7th, more than 2388 visitors, representing nine countries and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and 40 states and the District of Columbia, have visited the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge since the Hooded crane was first reported on December 13th.   

As many as eight endangered Whooping cranes (above) have been present on the refuge at one time during this migration and wintering season, and usually one or more is visible from the viewing platform.  The presence of wintering Whooping cranes is attributable to the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership's (WCEP's) two re-introduction programs:  Operation Migration's ultralight-led migration, and the Direct Autumn Release program.  

Whooping crane juveniles must learn their migration route from their parents. Beginning in 2001, Operation Migration, a founding WCEP partner, has led groups of juvenile whooping cranes each fall on their first southerly migration journey through Tennessee to wintering grounds in Florida. These cranes then find their way back to their fledging grounds in Wisconsin in the spring, unassisted by humans, and migrate on their own the next fall. The beautiful cinnamon and white juvenile whooping cranes you see on the refuge have been captive-reared by the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin and released in the Direct Autumn Release program.  They have arrived at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge by following another more experienced Whooping crane or joining a flock of migrating sandhill cranes.  

Photo credit:  Mike Nelson.  Two juvenile Whooping cranes (cinnamon and white) and one mature whooping crane foraging and preening with sandhill cranes at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge.  

The Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge is a major staging area for migrating cranes in the east where they rest and feed along their migration journey.  Staging areas are important stop-over sights where cranes replenish nutrients, add weight, and come in contact with other cranes for potential pairing.  This is especially important for our eastern Whooping crane population which now numbers around 104 birds.  

The Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival presents a wonderful opportunity to learn about birds and see the rare occurrence of three species of cranes foraging together in a staging wetland.  There is no other place in North America where you can see three species of cranes together, and no other place in the world where three crane species will include the endangered Whooping crane.  Add to this, the treat of seeing thousands of eastern sandhill cranes that were once on the brink of extinction, and you have a rare opportunity for winter bird viewing that you won't want to miss.

Above, you see the cover of the Discover Birds Activity Book, illustrated and authored by yours truly, as a special activity for children who attend the festival. The twelve-page booklet is sponsored by the Tennessee Ornithological Society (TOS) and was coordinated and produced by TOS member and co-chair of the festival, Cyndi Routledge.  It contains fun information about wintering birds, images for children to color and a crossword puzzle to challenge young (and adult) minds.  You will find this book at the TOS exhibit table at the festival!

The festival is co-sponsored by TOS, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), and the Barbara J. Mapp Foundation, and is free to the public.  TWRA personnel will be available to answer questions about the refuge and the wildlife conservation work of the Agency. TOS members will be present at the viewing area to share their birding scopes and their knowledge of the birds you will find there, including bald eagles and many ducks and geese.

I am one of those TOS members and will also be available to answer questions on both days of the festival, so find me and say "hello".  I would love to meet you!

Links and Resources:

Mike Nelson's Flicker site with Hooded crane video and photo stream
Morgan Simmons Jan 10 article Knoxville News Sentinel:  Rare Crane Joins Hiwassee Flock

Marcia Davis:  Sandhill Crane Festival a Premier Wildlife Event

Make your plans to attend the Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival

Directions to Birchwood and the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge
Sandhill Crane Festival Schedule of Events
Tennessee Ornithological Society
Tennessee Watchable Wildlife on Sandhill Cranes
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency:  TN Sandhill Crane Festival
Hooded Crane is Season's Gift by Marcia Davis
Times Free Press--Rare Hooded Crane Seen
International Crane Foundation on the Hooded Crane

At my companion blog, Vickie's Sketchbook:  Sandhill Cranes and Art

Top Crane Posts on this blog:  Hooded Crane at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in TN
Crane Magic--Three Crane Species at Hiwassee

Whooping Crane Reintroduction links:

The 2011 ultralight migration class is currently grounded in Alabama due to an FAA technical investigation.  We hope this issue will resolve soon so the juvenile Whooping cranes can continue their southern migration.  Stay up to date on the migration progress by visiting Operation Migration's field journal.
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership--Direct Autumn Release Program
International Crane Foundation
On this blog:  Whooping Crane Family Series

Linked to Bird World Wednesday at The Pine River Review
Linked to Bird Photography Weekly at Bird Freak.com

Crane Magic--Three Crane Species at Hiwassee

Several months ago I added the Blogger sidebar widget "most popular posts" and set it to show most popular posts in the past thirty days.  From time to time, I check it to see what people are most interested in and which posts are taking the top four positions. I'm happy to report that presently CRANES are dominating that interest, hands down!

Sandhill Crane Displaying, watercolor by Vickie Henderson

The Asian Hooded Crane appeared at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge and was first reported on Dec 13th; my post on this crane has been in the top position ever since it went up on the 14th.  What is more exciting are the updates provided by Charles Murray, a long-time resident of the Birchwood, TN, community, who visits the Hiwassee refuge frequently and reports activities via the TN-bird list serve.  Below is his report from today, December 26th:

"...assists from a coyote and a bald eagle stirred up the sandhill cranes this afternoon and brought the hooded crane into view at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge.  It had not been seen earlier in the day.  A record number of visitors, at least 131, were present, and four more states were added--Illinois, Maine, Minnesota and Missouri.  Twenty-eight states have been noted to date.  Fourteen different states were represented today alone.  The total number of visitors since the hooded crane was first sighted at HWR on December 13 is now AT LEAST 779!  A juvenile whooping crane was still present, along with at least a few thousand sandhill cranes and at least two bald eagles.  Several large and small flocks of ducks flew over or were in the slough at HWR as well."
---Charles Murray, Birchwood, TN

An awesome tribute to cranes!

Sandhill Cranes Landing, watercolor by Vickie Henderson (one of my favorite postures as they float in to land)

The second most popular post, having been in that position for the past several months, is my Whooping Crane Family post entitled, Happy Reunion.  The post shows my observations of a whooping crane chick reuniting with its parents after an International Crane Foundation health check and actually shows the female parent feeding the chick while the chick swims.  I attribute this post's popularity to the fact that Operation Migration is still making it's way south with the ultralight migration Whooping Crane Class of 2011, having faced one of the most difficult fall migrations thus far with lengthy weather delays.  The crew is currently on holiday break and will resume the migration again in January.  The migration's current stop-over site is in Franklin County, Alabama.

Thousands of people follow the progress of this migration, among them many students studying migration in their science classes.  The adult whooping cranes in view at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge are largely present due to ultralight migration re-introduction efforts over the past ten years.  The juveniles present, and a few of the adults were re-introduced through the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership's Direct Autumn Release Program.  This program allows captive-reared juvenile whooping cranes to find their southerly migration route by following other cranes on their first migration journey.

Third in popular ranking and appearing in just the past week, my post, Sandhill Crane Hunting in Tennessee? Multiple Factors Say NO", originally posted in November of 2010. This post expresses my opinion about the sandhill crane hunting proposal in Tennessee which was successfully defeated when our Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission voted in January of 2011 to defer the proposed hunting season for two more years allowing more time to study the issue.  But why has that post inched its way to the top three rankings now?  My question was answered when I realized the highly opposed and unpopular Kentucky Sandhill crane hunting season is currently underway.

The season opened on December 17th and will continue through January 15th or until the 400 bird quota limit is reached.  Many states are now holding sandhill crane festivals to celebrate the staging and wintering of thousands of migrating sandhill cranes and more people are becoming aware of Kentucky's hunting season.

Though Kentucky has succeeded in offering a sandhill crane hunting season, the price of that victory remains to be seen.  Loss of public good-will and eco-tourism dollars may be the costly consequences of ignoring public opinion and input.  And that input was received not only from Kentucky citizens, but citizens all over the country, particularly those in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyway states and Canada.  We all share the same migrating population of eastern sandhill cranes.    

Below, in the links section, you will find two insightful newspaper articles recently published in Louisville, KY and Tampa Bay, FL.  One an opinion letter, the other an article about reactions to hunting sandhill cranes, they highlight events occurring in many states as communities and state parks capitalize on the wildlife viewing opportunity provided by staging sandhill cranes, offering not only a thrilling opportunity for family education and entertainment, but an opportunity to promote conservation while bringing millions of dollars into the state's economy.  (see article links below).

The Asian hooded crane at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge has given people all over the USA, and visitors from Russia and Equador, the rare opportunity to view three crane species in the wild in one place in North America, and this is possible because the refuge is a major staging area for migrating sandhill cranes and whooping cranes in the east.  In Tennessee we have been celebrating the recovery of the Eastern Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes and the return of the endangered Whooping crane for many years.

The 21st annual Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival, a free event for the public, will be taking place January 14th and 15th, 2012 at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge and Birchwood Tennessee.  If food remains prevalent for the cranes and the winter remains as moderate as we've had thus far, you can bet we will still have three exciting crane species present for visitors to enjoy and celebrate!

Hardshell Gourd Basket by Vickie Henderson, featuring sandhill cranes and one whooping crane.

Links and Resources:

Hiwassee's Hooded Crane on NPR with video
Nashville Tennessean article Dec 29th:  Rare Crane Draws Birders from 32 states.

Make your plans to attend the Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival
Directions to Birchwood and the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge
Hooded Crane is Season's Gift by Marcia Davis
Times Free Press--Rare Hooded Crane Seen

Sandhill crane and Whooping crane gourd art baskets in my online shop

Top Crane Posts on this blog:
Hooded Crane at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in TN
Whooping Crane Family--Happy Reunion!
Sandhill Crane Hunting in Tennesseee?  Multiple Factors Say No!

Shooting Sandhill Cranes?  Not in our backyard!  Tampa Bay Times Dec 31st
Tampa Bay Times--Migratory Sandhill Cranes to be Hunted in Kentucky Dec 24th
Louisville Courier Journal--pg 2, Promote Eco-tourism

Kentucky Coalition for Sandhill Cranes
Petition site:  No Hunting for Sandhill Cranes in the East with more than 3060 signatures.
All my blog posts opposing the hunting of eastern sandhill cranes

Whooping Crane Reintroduction links:
Operation Migration's Ultralight-led whooping crane migration--In the Field
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership--Direct Autumn Release Program
International Crane Foundation
My Whooping Crane Family Series

Hooded Crane at Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee

A Hooded Crane has been identified foraging with sandhill cranes at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in east Tennessee.  This crane species breeds in southeastern Russian and northern China, and a large percentage of these birds winter on the Japanese island of Kyushu.  

Photo credit:  Walter Sturgeon.  Hooded cranes wintering in Japan.  Birds with brownish heads are immature birds.  Hooded cranes have a red bare-skin patch on the top of their head covered in fine black bristles.  

This is only the third account of this crane species being present in North America.  In 2010, a hooded crane was identified in Idaho, and earlier this year in April, a hooded crane appeared in Nebraska.  It is not known whether these bird sightings are related.

Hooded cranes.  Photo credit:  Walter Sturgeon

The roads and fields of the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge are closed to visitors during the winter months providing refuge for many wintering birds and other wildlife.  Sandhill cranes, whooping cranes, bald eagles, the hooded crane, and many other birds species can be viewed from the observation platform which remains available for public viewing (see link below).

The Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge is a great place to see thousands of staging cranes during the winter months, including the North America's endangered whooping crane. Mark your calendar now with the dates of the Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival, January 14th and 15th in Birchwood, Tennessee.  Many exhibits and programs, and spotting scopes and interpreters will be available to enhance your crane viewing experience.

Links and Resources:
Ann Paine's article on the hooded crane in Nashville's Tennessean
Rare Asian Crane report Dec 22nd, Chattanoogan.com
International Crane Foundation on Hooded Cranes
Details on the Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival
Directions to the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge
Visit my sandhill crane art:  Sandhill Cranes Landing and A Peek at my Current Project