148 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 
Order VIII. PALUDICOLA. Marsh-dwellers. 
Family 21. GRUIDA‘. Cranes. 
KEY TO SPECIES. 
A. Tarsus 11 inches or more, plumage mostly white. Whooping Crane. 
No. 77. 
AA. Tarsus 10 inches or less, plumage mostly slaty gray or brown. 
Sandhill Crane. No. 78. 
77. Whooping Crane. Grus americana (Linn.). (204) 
Synonyms: Ardea americana, Linn., 1758, Wils., 1814.—Grus americana of most 
subsequent authors. 
The adult may be known at sight by its great size (decidedly larger 
than the Sandhill) and the pure white plumage with the exception of the 
black wing-feathers. 
Distribution.—Interior of North America, from the fur countries to 
Florida, Texas and Mexico, and from Ohio to Colorado. Formerly on the 
Atlantic coast, at least casually, to New England. 
This magnificent bird is now one of the rarest of our water birds east of 
the Mississippi River. Formerly it was not uncommon throughout the 
entire Great Lake region, and was seen singly or sometimes in small flocks 
by itself, occasionally associated with the Sandhill Crane. Its striking 
plumage and great size made it conspicuous wherever it appeared, and 
although well known it probably was never really abundant. 
So far as we can learn there are no recent records for Michigan which 
are unquestionable. According to Covert (MS. List 1894-95) one was taken 
at Geddesburg, Washtenaw County, Mich., June 8, 1877. In Covert’s 
copy of Coues Key a marginal note says ‘Three specimens, Brighton, 
Mich., April, 1882, Chas. Cushing.’”? Mr. Covert tells me that he remembers 
the fact of their capture, but nothing more. We have not been able to 
find a Michigan specimen of this bird in any collection. The record by L. 
W. Watkins of Manchester (Cook’s Birds of Michigan, 1893, 2d ed. 52) 
doubtless relates to the Greater Egret, which is large enough to be mistaken 
at a little distance for the Whooping Crane. 
There is a record of one taken at Camden, Ontario, September 27, 1871 
(MclIlwraith, Birds of Ont., 1894, 116). In Indiana, according to Butler 
itis “A rare migrant; formerly more common. It has been known to breed 
in Central Illinois (Nelson), and clear Lake, Iowa (Cooke), and doubt- 
less did so in Indiana. Mr. L. P. Myers says that in Lake county it is ex- 
ceedingly rare. It wasasummer resident, but the draining of the Kankakee 
marshes has driven it away. Mr. Timothy H. Ball also writes of their 
former occurrence in Lake county, that they were common, but not so 
abundant as the Sandhill Crane” (Birds of Ind., 1897,669). Kumlien and 
Hollister say ‘Thirty or forty years ago it was not rare to see a few among 
the enormous flocks of Sandhill Cranes during the October migrations, 
