130 
CRANES, RAILS, ETC.—Order Paludicolz 
CRANES—Family Gruide 
WHOOPING CRANE 
204. Grus americana. 50 in. 
Plumage white, with black primaries; the inner wing 
feathers greatly lengthened, making a flowing train. 
Head of adult, largely bare, carmine colored, and with 
a few black hair-like feathers; eye yellow; bill and legs 
black. Young birds are whitish, mixed with gray. 
These great birds are not uncommon on the prairies of 
interior America, where they frequent the edges of 
marshes and sloughs. They are very wary and their 
great height enables them to see anyone a long way 
off, above the marsh grass. They were formerly found 
on the South Atlantie coast, but are now extremely rare 
there. 
Notes.—A loud whooping scream. 
Nest.—On the ground, usually in marshes; it is a 
bulky mass of grass and weeds, with the hollowed top 
a foot or more above ground. The two eggs that they 
lay are brownish-buff, spotted with brown. (3.75 x 2.50) ; 
May, June. 
