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What kind of cranes?

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Hi

I saw large flocks flying quite low overhead this morning in Naperville (30 miles West of Chicago). It was a relatively sunny, calm day with temps in low 50s when I saw several large flocks heading South.

My Qs:

what kind of cranes are these - sandhill or whooping cranes? I saw on Journey North/South website that the latter were at the southern end of IL on Nov 23rd so should be much farther south by now.

Isn't this quite late for their migration? I usually hear their typical gurgling (?) sounds in late October but this is the latest that I have heard/seen them. I could hear them yesterday too but it was too cloudy to see them.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Shyamala

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Comments (5)

ggopal
Original Author
10 years ago
Picture of a flock of them
nmfruit
10 years ago
Beautiful pictures!

Yes, they are sandhill cranes. Whooping cranes, along with being very rare, are almost entirely white, with mainly black wing tips visible in flight.

Their migration patterns seem to be more responsive to local weather conditions than is the case with other birds.

Here in NM, there is a huge wintering site for these cranes at Bosque del Apache NWR, but their numbers there fluctuate regularly in response to storms or warm periods. For them, an easy daylong flight of a couple hundred miles can mean the difference between nasty winter conditions, and nice mild overwintering grounds. This is exactly the case for the cranes at Monte Vista, CO and the Middle Rio Grande Valley in NM. The former is used by the birds in the fall, while the latter is good all winter!
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catherinet
10 years ago
We look forward to the Sandhills every Fall and early Spring. Their "song" is unmistakable. We must be right under their fly-way here in central Indiana.
ggopal
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank You, nmfruit and also Catherinet!

I set my seasonal clock based on the flight of these cranes and the arrival/departure of the dark-eyed juncos. The juncos appeared quite late too - in late October.

I wonder if this is a climate change-related delay or just an anomaly this year.

Interestingly, even though we have had a fairly mild autumn (only 1 snow storm) with consistently above freezing temps during daytime, the robins have disappeared.

nmfruit, I have visited NM before (Albuquerque - Santa Fe region) but in summer. I must go birdwatching there in winter!
nmfruit
10 years ago
ggopal,

Yes, it is always so fascinating to mark the seasons this way!

Winter is definitely flocking season here in NM. In addition to the flocks of cranes and snow geese along the Rio Grande, you see huge flocks of pinyon jays, clark's nutcrackers, three bluebird species (Western, Eastern, and mountain), Townsend's solitaires, and robins, among many others. Robins are here all year, but gather along with the other thrushes mentioned in large flocks to eat the numerous juniper berries.

Of course, all our hummingbirds, warblers, orioles, and tanagers take off when it gets cold.

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