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Project Noah Nature School
Grus canadensis tabida
The greater sandhill crane stands about 1.2 meters (3.75 feet) tall with some variation. The bird is generally gray with a red patch of scaly skin on the forehead, dark gray legs and bill. Breeding adults often smear mud into their feathers, however, turning their normally gray plumage a rusty brown.
Wetlands and upland meadows and agricultural fields.
Spotted on Oct 15, 2010
Submitted on Mar 15, 2012
7 Comments
Niiiice!
I had a lot of fun last autumn with migrating sandhill cranes. One morning I was crouching behind some bushes for cover and they were flying out of their night-time roost and coming right overhead, just a meters above my head. Wind in the wings, the calls, a beautiful morning. Kind of wished I could fly with them!
Alice, Exactly. Planes are built so the greatest weight is centered over the wings (engines, fuel tanks, etc.) Birds are built the same way. Think about the fact that they don't have a mammal's heavy teeth and supporting jawbone in their beak. Instead they have a gizzard, which can now be put closer to the wings and the bird's center of gravity. It's pretty amazing stuff.
Sweet.
Nice work Gordon!
Hermosa huella emplumada gran imagen
This photo is stunning! Love it. :)
Amazing plane-shape!