CRANES: Family Gruidae [ 2-3 1 1 



the legs are trailed straight behind and the long neck is thrust straight 

 ahead to the fullest extent and not folded, as in the herons. In the hazy, 

 lazy days of Indian summer the cranes often take wing and rise to great 

 heights, spiraling upward on set pinions until finally lost to view, 

 although the hoarse croaking may still be audible. In the wind the 

 crane is also a master aerialist, taking every advantage of the air currents 

 to sustain itself without effort. 



The courting dance of these cranes is one of the most amazing sights 

 of the bird world, the best account of which has been written by S. S. 

 Visher (Bent 192.6) as follows: 



In the early spring, just after the break of dawn, the groups that were separated widely, 

 for safety, during the night, begin flying toward the chosen dancing ground. These flocks 

 of six or eight fly low and give constantly their famous, rolling call. The dancing ground 

 that I knew best was situated on a large, low hill in the middle of a pasture of a section in 

 extent. From this hill the surface of the ground for half a mile or more in every direction 

 could be seen. As soon as two or three groups had reached this hill a curious dance com- 

 menced. Several raise their heads high in the air and walk around and around slowly. 

 Suddenly the heads are lowered to the ground and the birds become great bouncing balls. 

 Hopping high in the air, part of the time with raised wings, and part with dropping, they 

 cross and recross each other's paths. Slowly the speed and wildness increases, and the hop- 

 ping over each other, until it becomes a blurr. The croaking, which commenced only after 

 the dancing became violent, has become a noise. The performance continues, increasing in 

 speed, for a few minutes, and then rapidly dies completely out, only to start again upon 

 the arrival of more recruits. By 7 o'clock all have arrived, and then for an hour or so a 

 number are constantly dancing. Occasionally the whole flock of two hundred or so break 

 into a short spell of crazy skipping and hopping. By 9 o'clock all are tired and the flock 

 begins to break up into groups of from four to eight and these groups slowly feed to the 

 windward, diverging slowly, or fly to some distance. 



The huge nests (Plate 36, 5) are usually located far out in the larger 

 marshes, and the newly hatched young are quickly able to run about with 

 the parents, with whom they remain until well grown, the brown-looking 

 fledglings (Plate 36, A) appearing quite unlike the slate-gray adults. 

 There are eggs in the United States National Museum taken by Bendire 

 in Harney Valley, as follows: May 2. and 13, 1875, April 2.7, 1876, April 

 2.4, 1877, and April 14, 1888. Prill (192.2^) has taken them in Warner 

 Valley, May 30; and Patterson, in Klamath County, May 16, 192.4. 



The Sandhill Crane is somewhat omnivorous in its feeding habits 

 roots, bulbs, berries, grain, mice, frogs, snakes, and insects have all been 

 reported as entering into its diet. The stomach of one taken by Gabrielson 

 in Harney County (October n, 1934) was entirely filled with barley. 

 Complaints are sometimes received from farmers regarding destruction of 

 potatoes and grain by these huge birds, but such losses to date have been 

 very local. The species has already been so sadly reduced in numbers that 

 it seems impossible that it should become of any economic importance, 

 even though it should become much more destructive than at present. 



