Dancing Cranes

Sandhill Cranes came into my mind this week for two reasons. First, I finally located the small flock of Sandhill Cranes that is still hanging out in the Chehalis River valley. As of March 22^nd, they were located along Wakefield Road, south of the second Elma exit of Highway 8/12.

Second, and more impressive, I received a video from someone who moved to Florida last summer. These friends were astonished this spring to see Sandhill Cranes “dancing” in their front yard. I have their permission to attach their video for your viewing. Also, there are similar “dancing cranes” videos on YouTube, like this one from the Audubon Rowe Sanctuary.   Cranes dance as part of a mating ritual, but it is not limited to breeding season. They dance year-round, which suggests that dancing also strengthens the pair bond and may also establish a pair’s territory.

These are big birds, up to five feet tall, that superficially look like Great Blue Herons, with large gray bodies, a long neck and legs, and a red crown patch of bare skin. Their loud rattling call can be heard from several miles. They form family groups and usually spend time in open habitats, well away from water. Cranes are unrelated to herons and egrets, making up their own avian family with a number of crane species, all of which do some dancing. Cranes species are all tall and picturesque; many are relatively rare, and several are endangered.

Whooping Cranes also enjoy dancing (see video, above ). The birds in the video both have bands in individual color combinations. This indicates they likely are from one of the breeding programs. The bands identify their birth year and, because of inbreeding concerns, their genetic identity.  Researchers want to document the lives of every Whooping Crane they can, and these large easily visible bands facilitate that.   

Sandhill Cranes, in contrast, are an example of a bird species that has adapted well to the changes humans have brought to the land. They winter in southern warmer areas, including here in the Pacific Northwest, and in March and April, they begin their migration north. The major migration corridor is in the Central U.S. and in March and April hundreds of thousands of cranes congregate in the Platte River valley in Nebraska and eastern Colorado (see Associated Press video, https://youtu.be/sdXvLiuW0LU)

While these migration concentration areas have been known for centuries, recently, area farmers have adapted to their presence by planting crane food crops and offering guided tours during the migration season.

We know a lot about Sandhill Cranes because they were studied at length as part of the effort to save Whooping Cranes from extinction. Whooping Cranes are North America’s largest bird, and adults are a majestic white with a red crown. Their common name reflects their loud single-note bugle call.

Unregulated hunting and habitat loss pushed Whooping Cranes almost to extinction. In 1941 just 21 birds remained in the wild, in a single migratory flock, and two in captivity. Public pressure led to a campaign to recover this species and return it to the North American landscape. After many difficulties and failures, Whooping Crane numbers have increased. There are now about 800 Whooping Cranes, an original population that breeds in northwestern Canada and winters along the Texas Coast, as well as three reintroduced flocks and some remaining in captivity. This modest success was celebrated in 1957 by the US Postal Service by issuing its first conservation stamp.

One of the first recovery efforts was to replace one of two eggs in Sandhill Crane nests with eggs taken from the captive flock. This produced Whooping Cranes, but no successful breeding. The young cranes imprinted on their Sandhill Crane parents – they viewed themselves as Sandhill Cranes and did not recognize the other introduced Whooping Cranes as potential mates.

Eventually, the recovery researchers abandoned this approach and began raising more cranes in captivity. At first, the same imprinting problem occurred, the young became bonded to the researchers. Soon they began feeding nestlings and young cranes using crane-like sock puppets and leading the young flock around the feeding grounds wearing adult crane costumes. It worked – as they matured the cranes began nesting on their own. Though it must have looked really silly.

Researchers also worried about inbreeding and turned to an artificial insemination program, bringing gametes from a distant flock to a captive flock. But, at least for a time, the captive females did not ovulate, and the effort failed. And now, our little story returns to the importance of dancing. The females needed to be courted with dancing, and again the crane costumes were used. Staff dressed in a costume danced with the female breeding candidate. It worked; the females ovulated, and breeding was successful.

George Walter is the environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe's natural resources department; he also has a 40+ year interest in bird watching. He may be reached at george@theJOLTnews.com.

Photos for this column are provided by Liam Hutcheson, a 15-year-old Olympia area birder and avid photographer.