CRANES, RAILS, ETC. Order Paludicolas 



CRANES Family Gruidae 



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 Atlantic 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. (3.75x2.50) ; 

 "May, June. 



