Sandhill Crane

Description:

The birds are naturally gray and their heads are topped with a crimson crown. Some cranes preen themselves by adding mud to their feathers and thus taking on a temporary brown hue.

Habitat:

Breeds in open marshes or bogs, and in wet grasslands and meadows. Feed in marshes and grain fields.

Notes:

Saw 2 pairs along the road. One pair looked like it was starting to do a mating dance, but the car distrupted them. The other pair were just hanging out near the edge of the road and didn't seem too distrubed that I was taking pictures.