First thing I would do is call the human society, if no one is there call the police or sheriff department and ask them if there is a wildlife org. That is the only thing I can think of. Hope you can get him/her help!

I just went outside and took a very good closeup photo of the crane's foot. When displayed on the computer screen, I can see that this is more serious than I thought.
Unfortunately, GardenWeb is the only forum where I can't seem to post photos, no matter how hard I try. I think I'll send the photo to the Fish & Game Department.

I would not wait, a predator could smell blood if there is any. I had to rescue a baby bird and because I am in the county the animal control wouldnt pick it up but they told me to take it to the police station and THEY took it to the humane society.There is also the AUDOBON society that may help.

Call the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary and see if they can recommend anyone down there to rescue this bird, or at least point you in the right direction.

I left a phone message with the Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda. I don't know if they have anyone who will come out or not. This will be at least a two-person job once the struggle starts. These are very big birds with long, sharp beaks. Eye protection is a must!
This crane allows me to get almost close enough to touch, however, it's gonna take someone a lot younger, faster, and more spry than me to tackle this critter! If we miss on the first attempt, there probably won't be a second chance. I'm too old and decrepit to do this by myself.

I second what Goldenpond said. :>)
Cliff

You are doing the right thing in contacting wildlife REHAB centers rather than Fish & Game or Animal Control. Up here, Florida Audubon will give you numbers of local bird rehabbers to call, but honestly with big wading birds, we always used to take them to Sea World. They require such specialized diets that it isn't easy to duplicate in a home type facility. So in the morning, you might try Suncoast (as listed above) or the nearest Sea World or Aquarium in your area. If they don't have a rehab area set up (Sea World does), they should be able to refer you to a place that can take the bird.

I have carried more darn great blue herons in my car to Sea World in the old days than you can imagine. Once you catch them, you you have to hold the beak closed with one hand and grab the legs with the other, and then you fold them down into a sturdy carboard box or the like. (They take up very little space when they "sit" like that. It is a natural position that isn't uncomfortable.) But of course, it would be best of all if a pro could come get the bird and transport it to the proper folks.

There are folks out there who do just this sort of thing, but finding one when you need one is the catch, isn't it?

The line will cut off circulation and can cause loss of the foot or leg, if not removed. I'm glad you are trying to help. Good luck!

Marcia

The International Crane Foundation or Operation Migration may help. They are specialists in cranes and have 2 refuges established in Florida where they bring the Whooping Cranes each winter, so they'll know where to get a qualified person.

http://www.operationmigration.org/
Tel: 905-982-1096
Toll free: 800-675-2618
Fax: 905-982-1097
Email General Inquiries: info@operationmigration.org
Photo Requests: Photo Request Form
Mailing Address
Canada:
Operation Migration Inc.,
174 Mary St. Suite 3,
Port Perry, ON., L9L 1B7

International Crane Foundation
E-11376 Shady Lane Rd. P.O. Box 447
Baraboo, WI 53913 USA
Phone: 608.356.9462
Fax: 608.356.9465

Here is a link that might be useful: Operation Migration

Thanks for all the tips, folks! I'll start making more phone calls in the morning.
If this bird was actually somehow crippled or immobilized by the fishing line, I'd go ahead and grab it. However, in this case the only problem is the fishing line wrapped around its foot. There is nothing wrong with its wings and I'm sure it will move very quickly once it is alarmed by an aggressive move on my part. That's why I feel the first attempt MUST succeed, and I'm not confident enough to try it on my own.
If it turns out that I can't get anybody out here to help, I guess I'll have to try to throw my mullet cast net over the bird. I am definitely not looking forward to THIS particular stunt!

I guess I'll have to try to throw my mullet cast net over the bird.

I've seen the Seabird folks do this, sometimes it is necessary....

Okay folks, here's the latest: After a morning spent phoning and e-mailing all kinds of agencies and organizations, I finally found an outfit that wanted to help. The guy at the Venice Wildlife Center said to call him the minute I spot the crane again, and he will dispatch a team to catch the bird. He even offered to randomly patrol the neighborhood in hopes of spotting the crane, but I told him to save his gasoline because I'm here all day and I'll see the crane the moment she arrives.
None of the other people I spoke with were interested in helping, most of them advising that I just leave the crane alone.
So, I guess I'll get up from the computer now and go back to the window... :-)

Thanks so much for finding someone to help and not giving up! Let us know the ending of the story. The heck of it is just the run around you get from some places.

It's amazing to me that there was only ONE place willing to help! I guess if it's not endangered it doesn't matter?

I guess if it's not endangered it doesn't matter?
My guess, everyone in rescues is so overwhelmed during the Spring baby season, that they might not have a lot of people able to help

I do animal rescue, and it is a few of us against HUNDREDS who call and want help :) I am sure most people Brute called DO care, but are limited in time and resources

Thank you Brute for doing the right thing, and seeking help persistently

Olya is right. Having been involved with rehab years ago, I can tell you that right about now, every single nook and cranny in any center (and in rehabbers own homes) is filled to the ceiling with cages and crates of baby birds and other critters. It takes every volunteer you can bribe into helping you just to get all the feedings done in a day. And money is ALWAYS short. Rehabbers tend to buy food out of their own pockets, and they certainly aren't paid to do what they do in most cases.

If you do find yourself taking a bird or animal to a rehab center, be sure to ask them what they need in the way of supplies or cash, and be generous with your donation. Sometimes just taking along frozen veggies, fruit, and pet food is a big boost, but it's best to ask, as they might have specific needs. If you don't take a food item or two, please leave a few dollars. It's such hard work, and the only reward is the pleasure derived from seeing an animal or bird released back into the wild.

Marcia

hope you catch her! I love the sandhill cranes. We used to have a pair up in Jensen that lined up at the drive-through window of a KFC every morning to get biscuits. Not a great place for them to be or very nutricious food, but they were probably the most traffic savvy sandhills on the Treasure Coast.
And I get it about the KFC biscuits. been known to line up in that drive-through myself.

Thank you for wanting & trying to help this bird! Keep us posted.

Okay, here's the latest: The rescue is set to go if only the crane will show up. She hasn't. I watched for her all day yesterday and today. I even rode the bike around the neighborhood, looking for her and asking my neighbors to keep a lookout.
The next move is the crane's.

Thanks for the up date Brute, sure hope she/he shows up.

BTW, my go-to group to call when I see wildlife in jeopardy is CROW (Care and Rehabilitation of Wildlife). They are nationally renowned and do a beautiful job at rehabilitation of all sorts of wildlife, and they recently expanded their outfit to include an visitor's center. I used to watch them on Animal Planet, and they are located on Sanibel Island. I've taken them countless animals, from injured birds to snakes and baby opossums. I even took them a rat once. I called them and said, "Uh, this may sound like a stupid question, but do you guys help rats?" "Absolutely! They're wildlife, too!" I keep their phone number in my phone.

The only problem is that they aren't much on catching animals. They usually get involved once the animals are already secured. That's not to say that they WOULDN'T, but that isn't normally how it's done.

Just thought I'd get their name out there.

CROW does a wonderful job! Thanks for letting people know about them, nfmgirl. They are truly dedicated.

Marcia

SUCCESS!!! After watching in vain for exactly one week for her return, I'd pretty much given up on her and her mate. So this morning I put on my Sunday-Go-To-Meetin' clothes, started up the car, and went about 100 feet, when, who should I see strolling down the street toward my house? BOTH cranes!
Actually, one was strolling, and the other, limping horribly.
So, I called the wildlife rescue guy, got back into my grubby clothes (sorry Lord!), and waited and watched the cranes.
The guy showed up with a heavy fishing rod and line, made a noose on the ground, and baited it with bread. The crane didn't trust this stranger and kept her distance. However, once I stepped up and poured some birdseed into the noose, she hobbled right up and started eating. I stepped back, and the guy pulled the noose. After a big, noisy wrestling match, the crane was netted and placed in a cage in the back of the van.
The wildlife guy said he'd give her steroids and keep her for a couple of days, then return her here.
During this whole event, I had a perfectly good digital camera sitting on the dining room table. In all the excitement, it never occurred to me to take photos! Grrrr!!
Anyway, I sure hope she still trusts me when she gets home. Her and her mate used to follow me around the yard like puppy dogs. This was AFTER they'd eaten their fill at the bird feeder. I think they were just keeping me company. While I worked, they'd stand a few feet away, preening their feathers and loafing.
Sometimes, they'd even squat down on the ground and tuck their heads under their wings and snooze, with me working only a few feet away. Talk about trust!
When all this is over, I sure hope that trust can be restored.
NEWS FLASH!!!
The Wildlife Center just called and said they're bringing her back right now. They cut the line off and discovered that one of her toes was ruined because the circulation was cut off too long. They said it will probably fall off in time. They asked me to report on her condition from time to time.

Great news!! Thank you for your persistence

Weirdest thing, I had a dream last night about finding the Sandhill Crane you were posting about - talk about a coincidence :)

Brute, you had on your-Sunday-go-to-meeting-cloths when you helped one of Gods creatures!
I'm sure she will be happier now!

I'm happier too. The wildlife guy took the cage out of the van and pointed the door it the direction which would provide the most "takeoff room". I had my camera ready and he warned me to be ready because she'd come blasting out and fly away, panic-stricken.
When the door opened, she stepped out, straightened up, stared at us for a few seconds, and set out across the yard at a leisurely pace, she even stopped under a shade tree to adjust her feathers. Then, she walked down the road to re-join her mate.
Talk about a cool customer! From the way she acted, you'd think she did this sort of thing every day!
I never knew about the Wildlife Center of Venice until this emergency. Sure, there are several organizations who will take in critters that YOU bring to them. But, they all refused to come out and rescue this crane. Hats off to the Wildlife Center of Venice!
During all the excitement, it didn't occur to me to give the guy a donation. I'll send a check in the morning.
If anyone in this neck of the woods is interested in helping out these fine folks, here ya go:
Wildlife Center of Venice Inc.
3252 Border Rd.
Venice Fl 34292
941 484-9657
www.WildlifeCenterofVenice.org

This is such great news. I've been checking this thread a couple times a day just to see if there were any updates. Thanks for letting us know how well it turned out!

My mother always fed the cranes too and found that they loved dried corn. You can get bags of it in the bird food section of most big box stores and of course the livestock stores carry it too. You might want to try some as a special treat for your recovering crane.

Thank you so much for helping the crane, and for telling us the story...I have been following it and worrying about the poor bird. They are so magnificent...you are lucky to have them in your yard.

Funny thing is, it's actually illegal to "intentionally" feed sandhill cranes in Florida. I was doing it for years before I found out about this law.
So these days, because I'm getting so old and shaky, an awful lot of bird seed and feed corn seems to get spilled on the ground while I'm trying to fill the bird feeder.
Darn! I just can't seem to hold that thing steady! Why do they make these newfangled bird feeders so hard to fill these days?

Brute ~ What a wonderful story, and gee it's a shame those newfangled bird feeders are so hard to fill. :-)

FlowerLady

Brute

What a nice, uplifting story, with a happy ending! Thank you for sharing with us.

Silvia

I've been following this story with much interest. I'm so happy that the crane is all better! I laughed at her calm manner upon her release. That bird has lots of class! You should name them both. She reminds me of Sophia on Golden Girls. Lots of spunk. Don't worry, they'll both be back to visit you with no hard feelings. Animals always know who to trust and who have their interest at heart. Out of all the houses in my neighbourhood, if ever there are any lost animals, they always find their way to my property. Love them all!!

Brute, I'm happy to hear the story has a happy ending. What a great addition to your garden the cranes are and it is obvious they have enriched your life. You did everything you could for her to be sure she would heal properly, and just for your peace of mind, a lost toe is nothing to worry about at all, as long as they removed the possiblity for infection. Even one-legged birds get along just fine, in the wild. I suspect she will be a gardening buddy for a long time to come.

Too bad about that temporary shakiness that you get when filling your feeder. Strange. Very strange...........

*grin*

Marcia

Years ago, we lived on 5 acres between Kissimmee and St. Cloud and the sandhill cranes thought our front pasture was their own. At times in the summer we had 50 to 60 cranes out there. I "accidently" spilled about a 50 lb bag of cracked corn out there every week. We had one with a crossed beak that didn't come together at the end so it couldn't pick up anything to eat. We had to fill a water pitcher full of corn so it could stick it's beak far enouth down into the corn to pick up a piece. We named it "Beaker" and it followed us around like a puppy, into the porch, the garage everywhere. I called a vet to see if it's beak could be fixed and he said if I could bring it in he would do what he could. I borrower a cage and was set to take Beaker in the next day and the evening before he was killed on the road in front of my house. I buried him and sobbed the entire time I was digging his grave. I was crying so hard I couldn't see. It was like a member of my family had died. So thank you Brute, and everyone who tries to help the wildlife. There is a special place for you in this world.

"So thank you Brute, and everyone who tries to help the wildlife. There is a special place for you in this world.

I agree completely, BunnyHouse.

Marcia

If anyone in this neck of the woods is interested in helping out these fine folks, here ya go:
Wildlife Center of Venice Inc.
3252 Border Rd.
Venice Fl 34292
941 484-9657
www.WildlifeCenterofVenice.org

I've always sent money to the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary when they've come out to rescue a bird I've found in distress. I don't need to live in your neck of the woods to appreciate what you've done AND the folks that gave of their time and money to help this bird. I'll print out this post and send it off with a check immediately.

Tom

Wow! Awesome story! Have you given them names? Glad there was a happy ending...

Cliff

BunnyHouse, what a sad story :[

Update! After the female's release, I didn't see either crane for almost a month. Then, a couple of weeks ago, she showed up, looking emaciated and frightened. Her foot was still swollen and she seemed to favor it a little. The male was nowhere to be seen.
Well, this morning they came in for a noisy landing in my front yard. I rushed their breakfast out to them. They both crowded up to me and I was able to get a good look at the female's feet.
The swelling had gone down and the toe didn't shrivel and drop off as predicted. With the exception of a light-colered scar, the injured foot looked just like the other one. She had gained weight and was as sassy as ever!
After breakfast, they both kept me company all day while I repaired my outboard motor out in the yard.
My family is back together! Praise the Lord!

What a happy day for you! That is such good news.

No one has mentioned why it is illegal to feed the cranes: a) they are wild animals, b) endangered, should NOT be too trusting of people for their own good (crane dinner), and they CAN damage screens, window, doors, cars, outdoor stuff, and not least, your skin, when they don't receive their perceived 'food'.
Thank you all for caring, thank you all for helping. Guess whose fishing net it was?? PEOPLE's. The cranes would better off eating what they are supposed to eat, out in the wild, far away from roads and cars. The more they are enticed to be around us, the more at risk they are.

I have been rescuing the sandhill cranes for 10 yrs. please contact me and I will try to get it for you.My number is 813-310-9363.

Loved the Story. I have 2 nesting Sandhill Crane in my backyard pond. I have been a crane lover for about 5 yrs.
I wonder how long they will sit on these 2 eggs , It has been almost 60 days. I am afraid they are not good. They will be heartbroken, as they lost a baby colt in 2008 hit by a car. I buried it in my flower garden.

I LOVE this story!!! Now for my question due to my lack of knowledge...Are they the really tall kinda grey birds that walk back by the cannal behind my house and have a really unusual loud call/sound?

Yes, They have long legs, long beaks to protect from predators. Here is pic of some of mine.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562674436GFnbEq

Hi
seems lots of sandhill crane experts out there!
I have seen a lone sandhill crane in an empty field next to my mom's nursing home since she took residence there - 10 weeks. He looks so lonely; it just dawned on me I have NEVER seen him fly! Just walks around; a small drainage ditch in front; through the parking lot or in the empty field. This is in central Orlando - and I am worried that his mate was killed in traffic.
Does Sea World send folks out to rescue? Only about 4 miles away.

thanks.