BOTW 12/27-12/31

a crane re-run

Hello and welcome to Bird of the Week!

BOTW is on vacation this week, so for astute observers, you’ll notice that this week’s bird is a re-run.

This week's bird is the: Sandhill Crane

1) The Sandhill Crane is 4 feet tall and has a wingspan of over 6.5 feet. To put that in perspective, if this crane was playing/flying sideways in the (2020) NBA finals, it would be taller than 40% of the Lakers' starting lineup.

2) Depending on where you live, you can see Sandhill Cranes either in the winter or the summer. Populations generally spend the summer in the Northern U.S. and Canada, and overwinter in the southern US and Mexico.

3) Sandhill Crane fossils have been unearthed demonstrating that the bird has been around in its current form for at least 2.5 million years. The fossil of a closely related relative was found in Florida dating back 10 million years. This places it among the oldest living bird species in the world.

4) Like many other birds featured on BOTW, this crane is long-lived. The oldest known bird was 35 years old, with some birds waiting to breed for the first time until they are 8 years old. And what cute chicks they have!

5) During migration, flocks of these cranes will travel approximately 150 miles a day, with speeds topping out at over 50 miles per hour. 

Have a wonderful week!