Hiwassee's Sandhill Cranes and Territorial Language

Sandhill cranes express their attitudes both vocally and behaviorally in a number of ways.  Every posture, the color and size of their red skin patch, the way they hold their head, practically every feather, offers some kind of communication to other flock members about their intent, attitude and position within the flock.    

Below you see two sandhill cranes with their skin patches showing very different attitudes.  The taller or crane with his neck stretched in back, has expanded his skin patch and flushed it with blood so that it is bright red.  This means he is excited, possibly alert to potential danger or responding to a nearby sandhill crane.  The crane in the front has the red skin patch contracted and partially covered with gray feathers. Sandhill cranes have the ability to contract their skin patch so that less of the surface is exposed to the cold.  

It's hard to imagine that sandhill cranes feeding so close together also establish territories within the feeding area.  But territorial space is as important on the feeding grounds in the winter as it is during breeding season. It means the family's survival and good reproductive health in the spring.  Feeding territories, of course, are much smaller and include only the space in which the crane family is currently foraging.    

Sandhill cranes travel together in family groups, usually two adults with one off-spring, occasionally a family of four with two off-spring.  Above you see a family of three with the mature adults on either side of a sub-adult off-spring hatched early in the season. His red facial patch is pale by comparison.  

Family groups join other families to form the flocks that we see during migration. When feeding territories are being established, sometimes the whole family gets in on the dispute, usually, male sparring with male, female with female and juvenile with juvenile. At the time I was taking the next two images below, I was still in awe of the cranes approaching, and experiencing them as cautious and alert.  But they were gathered here to forage and as soon as feeding began, territorial displays erupted.  

Following this burst of activity, I became more alert and zoomed my 300 mm lens back to better anticipate and capture these disputes!

Below, you see a sandhill crane walking with his head down showing a bright red skin patch engorged with blood.  This head position is a mild threat posture as the crane moves into an area where other cranes are feeding.  He also is displaying "plume" feathers, which are actually the raised tertiary wing feathers.  

Below, two juveniles have a dispute over their feeding territory (note the cinnamon on the back of the jumping cranes's head).  The crane on the right is in the midst of a "jump rake", one of the more aggressive behavioral displays in which the crane jumps and rakes the air with his claws.

The opposing juvenile responds with a similar jump.  Especially notice below, how the adults in the families are joining in the dispute vocally.  If the dispute does not settle quickly, they will join the juveniles in displaying to each other.

Mostly, territorial disputes include vocals and behavioral displays without physical contact.  Disputes settle quickly and the cranes go back to foraging peacefully, which is the whole purpose of their flocking together in feeding areas.  The flock serves the sandhill cranes' survival by aiding in the location of food sources and by providing many eyes on the alert for danger.  

I love observing behavior.  In the past, I have spent many hours watching herd behavior in horses, noticing how this "prey" species communicates with the most subtle of movements and gestures, creating heirarchy within the herd and a fine-tuned response to danger.  Having an opportunity to watch sandhill cranes create this same kind of order with feathers, vocals, and posturing is priceless to me, and especially gratifying knowing that Hiwassee's sandhill cranes, the Eastern Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes, was once on the brink of extinction.   

Next post:  Displays, vocals, and a late season juvenile.

Links and Resources:

To see the first post in this three-part series visit:  An Intimate Visit with Hiwassee's Sandhill Cranes

Tennessee Watchable Wildlife on Sandhill Cranes

Directions to the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge

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

An Intimate Visit with Hiwassee's Sandhill Cranes

What a WOW experience this was.

I received a special invitation from a landowner in the Birchwood area, to meet in the pre-dawn hours and set up observation in a blind with the hope of seeing and photographing sandhill cranes.  Even though I live more than two hours away, and arrival by 6:45 a.m. meant getting up in the middle of the night, this is not the kind of opportunity I will pass up!  I felt privileged and full of anticipation before I even glimpsed a sandhill crane.

You never know what will happen in these circumstances, whether the birds will show up, whether equipment will work, or what the weather might bring, but every detail of this experience worked out beautifully, including the arrival of more than fifty sandhill cranes shortly after daylight.

Above you see sandhill cranes walking up the incline from the field below where they initially landed.  Unless they are migrating, sandhill cranes spend more time walking than flying, ever alert for danger as they search for foraging opportunities.  The cranes have just flown in from their roost at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge.  In this field they are attracted to an area where silage has been stored and have been feeding on it for several weeks.  The sandhill cranes have created the mud you see in the images below by probing the ground with their long beaks.  

A male sounding a guard call above (click the link to hear it).  This is a very loud call that was sounded by a number of cranes in the flock as groups of sandhills were flying over and more sandhills joined this feeding area.  Though we often couldn't see new arrivals until they were about to land, the whooshing and pounding of wing beats and the head movements of cranes within view kept us informed of new arrivals.

The sun burns away the dense fog and we have clear skies.  Breath-taking.

Above you see an adult sandhill crane that has been probing in the mud and calling intermittently.  Just behind the adult, you see a juvenile with the red-facial skin developed but with telling cinnamon feathers remaining on the back of the head and neck.

Above and below, the sandhill cranes forage in the mud for silage, grain, insects and worms.  While contentedly feeding, soft humming sounds could be heard occasionally, similar to that made by chickens as they scratch.  This was a delightful new discovery.

Next:  Order in the feeding territory!

Links and resources:

To see all the posts in this three-part series visit: Wintering Sandhill Cranes

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

Sandhill crane art in my website galleries

Intimate Visits with a Sandhill Crane Family

Sandhill cranes are loved wherever you find them.  Recently I have become acquainted with several individuals who have spent many hours observing and documenting sandhill crane behavior as the families go about their daily lives.  These are also talented individuals who have shared what they've learned with the rest of the world.

The image you see above is from Christy Yuncker Photo Journal, a website you will want to visit to find a wonderful collection of images and descriptions of sandhill cranes and their behavior.  She and her husband, George Happ, are co-authors of the Sandhill Crane Display Dictionary.

Christy introduced me to Nina Faust, in Homer, Alaska, a videographer who has made a beautiful series of videos of a sandhill crane family living near her home. The videos are moving and intimate documentaries of a sandhill crane family engaged in its daily activities.

Before viewing, settle into your chair and relax.  Each video will draw you into the moment as you hear the gentle purr of a sandhill crane parent and enjoy this intimate visit with a family of sandhills going about their daily life.        





While the proposal to hunt the Eastern Population of sandhill cranes moves forward in the state of Kentucky despite overwhelming opposition, there is a parallel approval process occurring in the regulatory branch of the Migratory Bird Division of USFWS.  This division reviews and approves the regulatory rules that govern proposed hunting seasons for migratory birds.  Kentucky's proposed sandhill crane hunting season is currently under review and the public is invited to comment.  

Two important deadlines:
August 1st--comment deadline in Kentucky.
August 5th--comment deadline for USFWS regulatory ruling.

By August 1st--KDFWR's comment period for the public to voice their opinion about the proposed sandhill crane hunting season ends August 1st, 2011.  If  you are opposed to the hunting of sandhill cranes in the east,  please let your voice be heard. Send your comments to the following KDFWR email address:  rose.mack@ky.gov

By August 5th--USFWS is holding a public comment period on the proposed sandhill crane hunt in Kentucky.  Comments can be made via postal mail or online portal.  You can make your comment online at the following link:  Frameworks for Early Season Migratory Bird Hunting   You may type your comment or provide it as an attachment. You will see a tab that provides for your comment at the top right.  Click on the pdf tab to read the document.  Sandhill cranes are discussed in item # 9, page 44735.  

The postal mailing address is:  Public Comments Processing, Attn:  FWS-R9-MB-2011-0014; Division of Policy and Directives Management; US Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-PDM; Arlington, VA  22203

But don't stop there.  Who do you know that can have an impact on this process?  Role up your sleeves, make a phone call, send an email, send a letter, invite that person to discuss this issue with you. Everyone has access to their state's law makers. You will find your state's US legislators' phone numbers and mail addresses at this link. These are the people who have the power to stop a decision-making process that excludes the voice of the majority of US citizens.

Links and Resources:

Visit sandhill crane hunting for my previous posts on this issue.  The most recent post will be first. When you reach the bottom of the page, click "older posts" to view more.

More on Purple Martins coming up!

Sandhill Crane Display Dictionary

Christy Yuncker Happ and George M. Happ are a pair of scientists in Fairbanks, Alaska, who have spent more than a decade closely observing a nesting pair of sandhill cranes.  And for those of us who enjoy crane viewing, they have compiled their research into a beautiful and informative pocket guide, the Sandhill Crane Display Dictionary--What Cranes Say with their Body Language.

More than 50 crane behaviors are illustrated and described in this informative guide, including the sequence of events that occur from the first month of nesting all the way through the parents' training of their young colt to dance, fly, and roost away from territory in preparation for migration.

Do you know what it means when a crane ruffles its feathers?  Or how to tell the difference between a preening ruffle and a ruffle that is intended to display a threat to another crane?  Details of these subtle communication differences are included in this guide, a handy reference designed to heighten your observation skills and increase your understanding and enjoyment of crane viewing.

Dancing is a crane behavior that many are familiar with, but did you also know that cranes train their young chicks to dance with them at an early age?  The guide takes you through a crane dance, naming and illustrating the different postures and explaining the meaning of this behavior in crane communication.  

In addition to its photographic detail, this accordion style dictionary describes eight key things to watch for as you try to understand sandhill crane behavior in the field. Guaranteed to enrich your crane viewing experience, this guide is a winner.  You will want to have it in your pocket the next time you visit a crane breeding or staging area!

For more information about the guide visit Christy Yuncker's Photo Journal.
The Sandhill Crane Display Dictionary is also available at Amazon.