THE SANDHILL CRANE. 



THE sandhill crane is so often con- 

 fused, in the popular mind, 

 with the great blue heron, that 

 it may not be amiss to suggest 

 the real differences between them. We 

 should first remember that the crane is 

 not found east of Illinois, except casually 

 or accidently, but is numerous from Illin- 

 ois westward to the western border "of the 

 plains during the migrations. It ranges 

 as far north as Manitoba. The great 

 blue heron is pretty evenly distributed 

 over the whole of North America. The 

 cranes usually, if not always, migrate in 

 greater or lesser flocks, alternately cir- 

 cling upward to considerable heights and 

 sailing straight away, with both soaring 

 and flapping motion, and with prodigious 

 croakings. The herons migrate singly 

 or in pairs, with long, steady sweep of 

 the wings, and make no outcry. Close 

 at hand the two species would hardly be 

 confused by an ordinarily careful obser- 

 ver, but these large birds are rarely seen 

 close at hand. 



The feeding habits of the two birds 

 are very similar,, and to this superficial 

 similarity is largely due the confusion, I 

 suspect. Both wade into the water 

 searching for some hapless frog or toad, 

 often standing motionless for minutes at 

 a time until the victim comes within 

 range of the sharply-pointed beak, when 

 a lightning-like movement of the head 

 sends the beak completely through the 

 creature, killing and catpuring it with 

 one stroke. The long legs and neck 

 are admirably adapted to this kind of 

 fishing. 



Colonel N. S. Goss describes the 



courting antics of these ungainly birds 

 as extremely ludicrous at times. A 

 vertible Indian war dance, in fact, in 

 which the females join heartily, and like 

 the war dance, stopping only when the 

 last participant falls down with exhaus- 

 tion. It seems to be a sort of promiscu- 

 ous wedding ceremony for the whole 

 company. 



The crane nests on the dry, flat prairie, 

 usually scraping together some wisps of 

 dry grass, but often with not even this 

 poor excuse for a nest. Here two to 

 four drab-brown colored, rough-shelled 

 eggs are laid and the young reared. 



Size seems to be the only criterion 

 which determines what the crane may 

 eat. Perhaps it might better be said, 

 what he will swallow. He seems to re- 

 lish stones, pocket-knives, steel nails 

 and the like fully as well as the choic- 

 est bit of frog or toad. Like many other 

 birds, however, he regurgitates the in- 

 digestable matter, and so takes no harm 

 from this promiscuous diet. Many of us 

 may have reason to envy him this capac- 

 ity. 



Dr. P. L. Hatch,, in his ''Birds of Min- 

 nesota," gives an interesting description 

 of the fighting qualities of a pet crane 

 which he offered to pit against any and 

 all canines, one at a time. One valiant 

 mastiff, which essayed to do battle with 

 his craneship, entered the ring with all 

 the confidence of an unbroken record of 

 victories, but a moment, later he ''stayed 

 not on the order of his going," carrying 

 with him the exact pattern of the crane's 

 beak. No other canines ever volunteered 

 for a similar service. 



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