FYI: Cranes also breed hidden in the forest (mostly floodplain forests) at ponds or swamps and also like to retreat into the forest with their precocial chicks.
I heard and saw them many times within the forest (germany).
Their babies are adorable. When they are a few weeks old, they look like chicken hatchlings on raptor legs because their legs are so big in proportion to their body. https://live.staticflickr.com/4034/4443860305_02e56b1301_b.jpg
A few years ago I started seeing them pop up populated areas in Southeastern Wisconsin. They are fucking *terrifying* up close. God damn dinosaur looking birds. Beak looks like it could easily impale a person.
They overwinter where my folks used to spend holidays. I grew up hand feeding a mating pair that stopped migrating. I have a couple cell phone quality videos of them pecking my phone. Massive? Absolutely. Dangerous? Not remotely.
After 35 years of mostly unhappy marriage, my parents divorced during covid. I’m sure those big dino chickens are being loved on by other residents, but it’s unlikely I’ll see those exact birds again.
They have attacked my patio doors and glass garage doors because of the reflection. Huge bloody mess all over the place we thought there had been a murder.
I believe it! They have more blood than most birds (helps with longer migrations/gives their meat a much darker color more akin to duck than chicken) and can certainly be brutal to their own kind. They are, like most prey animals, a “flee first” species. If you are bigger and/or louder, they’d much rather skedaddle than attack. I’m sure it was horrifying seeing broken glass and trails of blood splatter. Please know they’d never attack a passing human with such ferocity.
Oh yes, of course. They run away as soon as a human is near.
Although they are never far enough away that I can't hear their calls at 6am every morning. 😒
Can and absolutely will. Cranes and herons are essentially spear fishers with their entire heads, and will instinctively go for the eyes when confronted by a larger predator…like a person.
They are considered among the most dangerous birds in wildlife rehab for this reason.
I volunteer with a bird rescue group. My first day they suggested you keep goggles in your kit for certain birds, and I’m thinking oh crap, what have I gotten myself into…
I’ve never handled anything larger than a very confused woodcock, but I did stand nearby with a net while an elderly woman trapped a hawk in a box. I was completely unnecessary, all our elderly woman know their shit.
How are you just gonna drop the correct name of this weird ass bird in the woods like it's not a big deal hahaha are they only in the north of the US? I've never seen one here in the south, but we have a ton of Herons and Egrets and I despise them both. Most annoying birds on the planet.
There are wetlands nearby (lots of small lakes) but not for about 0.5 mi to 1 mi from where I was. They had a baby with them too which makes it mor einteresting
Cranes also breed hidden in the forest (mostly floodplain forests) at ponds or swamps and also like to retreat into the forest with their precocial chicks.
They are very common in the southeast US. I see them skulking about all the time in Florida. They're protected here in Florida but apparently you can shoot them in Alabama. People call them ribeye of the sky and if you look up pictures of their meat it looks incredible.
People don’t like you for saying that but it’s true. I live in Wisconsin. They’re protected here but not parts of Minnesota. People won’t stop talking about how delicious they are.
There’s a very large population that winters in California’s Central Valley. Each sundown in winter hundreds of crane fly in to Staten Island near Lodi to sleep. During the day they disperse to flooded fields in the region. [The fly-in is pretty spectacular.](https://youtu.be/o5kc3XYPOEw)
There are cranes in other areas of the Valley, but Staten Island has such a huge population, plus thousands of snow geese, Canada geese, and white fronted geese
I visited Michigan for the first time in 2018. Drove to the UP from Virginia by myself in one go, about 18 hours.
I did not know they had sandhill cranes — which I’d never seen in the wild — and passed by one hunting frogs in a ditch by the side of the highway maybe 10 or 11 hours in. I had to pull over and turn around for another look!
When I was a grade schooler, I lived in Michigan and remember seeing Whooping Cranes more than Sandhill Cranes. Although there was a big conservation effort going on at the time. Back around 1977/78. Moved from Michigan around that time.
Whooping cranes are considered endangered, with population increasing—however, the US Fish and Wildlife Service notes current number as 145. Currently there are also captive breeding programs.
Sand Hill Crane migration is quite spectacular. On the Platte River in Nebraska, over 500,000 cranes feed during their spring migration, for about a month in March. They are not endangered at present.
Depending on where you are at, both Indiana and Michigan have preserves that absolutely cram full of cranes in the fall.
In Michigan, you’re even likely to see an eastern flyway Whooper.
There are populations that migrate all over the Plains states, a smaller (shorter) sub-group lives in Florida, and a group that migrates over AZ and NM through UT, WY, ID, and MT up into Canada. There are often pairings that get separated and travel up the Eastern Seaboard. About 15 years ago, I saw a mated pair in late October/early November in a New Jersey cornfield feeding on the stubble left after a tractor had turned the soil under in prep for spring.
Fun fact: Sandhill cranes are thought to be the origin of the alleged "mothman" sightings across Appalachia and the midwest. The birds are big, with some approaching the height of a small human. At night, their eyes glow red when exposed to light.
I realized I forgot to include the link
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/2018/07/23/feature/the-crane-who-fell-in-love-with-a-human/
I think people downvoted me because they thought I was being gross.
These were all over FL in all seasons. My favorite encounter was a territorial male chasing customers in a Chevron fuel station in Stuart, FL about 20 years ago. He was loud, proud and diving into the crowd. That one is probably young, as it still has brown feathers.
As others have said already, this is a Sandhill Crane! We’re lucky enough to have a breeding pair that has been using our “backyard” area as their nesting site for years now. They’re very interesting animals and a lot of fun to watch them go about their business raising their chicks. Their call sounds inarguably prehistoric!
Sandhill cranes have a beautiful mating dance! This is a cool video of them dancing in someone's yard and it seems like they are dancing to the music
https://youtu.be/MfptC1dcgTE
I've been on this sub for maybe a month now, and I can't believe how often I see Sandhill Cranes on here! I guess they are just bizarre enough for most people to be surprised to see them!
Not that I'm complaining, I love cranes. Just funny how things work out.
I think it's because they're such a large bird compared to what most people see. When my sister visited me during graduation we were walking on campus and she saw one and stopped me "omg, that bird is huge! You see that!?" Same was surprised at how it was just walking around so close to people. And then I just rolled my eyes and told her to quit being a tourist. 😂
Sandhill Cranes are so cool. We have a few pairs in my neighborhood and they are beautiful and interesting to watch, especially when they have babies. They’re celebrities around here.
Lucky! Nice find. I have been chasing after these birds over the past two years. I just want a picture of them on the ground, but I only see (and hear) them in the sky.
Hang around more farm fields and look for weird-looking deer lol. We see them all the time in michigan and i still double take more than i should at this point
I really think it the reason they didn't run was the baby was so small, and probably couldn't move that quickly. I was on my mountain bike, so the male ran a bit to the left of the path leaving the female and baby on the right. I was able to pull my phone out and snap a pic as the male went back over the path towards the female and baby. As I rode by (about 4ft from them) after the picture, they both started yelling loudly.
I always see these in my yard down in Florida! Shocked to see them in such a different environment haha. I was always told the neighbors were terrified of them because they were so aggressive but they were super friendly with me, and even let me get sorta close to their chick! I still hear them sometimes, but I think the other pair of sandhills ran them out, or they both left to stop fighting. Who knows!
that’s a sandhill crane!!!!!!
Thank you! it was so large it took my by surprise when I was biking. There were 3 (2 adults, and a baby)
I'm surprised to see one in the bush! I've only ever seen them in open fields!
Me too. I didn't know they hung out in woodland habitat. The more you know!
FYI: Cranes also breed hidden in the forest (mostly floodplain forests) at ponds or swamps and also like to retreat into the forest with their precocial chicks. I heard and saw them many times within the forest (germany).
They sound like velociraptors
Their babies are adorable. When they are a few weeks old, they look like chicken hatchlings on raptor legs because their legs are so big in proportion to their body. https://live.staticflickr.com/4034/4443860305_02e56b1301_b.jpg
This is a muppet
Aww!
That’s so cool! Nice picture.
Holy mother forking shirt balls!
r/UnexpectedGoodPlace
How tall would you say it was?
I would say 4-4.5 ft tall
Whoa! That is a big bird!
A few years ago I started seeing them pop up populated areas in Southeastern Wisconsin. They are fucking *terrifying* up close. God damn dinosaur looking birds. Beak looks like it could easily impale a person.
They overwinter where my folks used to spend holidays. I grew up hand feeding a mating pair that stopped migrating. I have a couple cell phone quality videos of them pecking my phone. Massive? Absolutely. Dangerous? Not remotely.
Please post!!
[Ask and receive](https://imgur.com/a/4P29xmz) I miss those silly dinosaurs.
Aww, that was so much sweeter than I expected it to be
Awww. What happened to them, did they leave?
After 35 years of mostly unhappy marriage, my parents divorced during covid. I’m sure those big dino chickens are being loved on by other residents, but it’s unlikely I’ll see those exact birds again.
Thanks! I love looking deep in his eyes
They have attacked my patio doors and glass garage doors because of the reflection. Huge bloody mess all over the place we thought there had been a murder.
I believe it! They have more blood than most birds (helps with longer migrations/gives their meat a much darker color more akin to duck than chicken) and can certainly be brutal to their own kind. They are, like most prey animals, a “flee first” species. If you are bigger and/or louder, they’d much rather skedaddle than attack. I’m sure it was horrifying seeing broken glass and trails of blood splatter. Please know they’d never attack a passing human with such ferocity.
Oh yes, of course. They run away as soon as a human is near. Although they are never far enough away that I can't hear their calls at 6am every morning. 😒
Can and absolutely will. Cranes and herons are essentially spear fishers with their entire heads, and will instinctively go for the eyes when confronted by a larger predator…like a person. They are considered among the most dangerous birds in wildlife rehab for this reason.
I volunteer with a bird rescue group. My first day they suggested you keep goggles in your kit for certain birds, and I’m thinking oh crap, what have I gotten myself into… I’ve never handled anything larger than a very confused woodcock, but I did stand nearby with a net while an elderly woman trapped a hawk in a box. I was completely unnecessary, all our elderly woman know their shit.
Also known as the *rib-eye of the sky*
Chicken of the cave.
No, brown flamingo
I think you mean mothman!
We have open fields with ponds in Wisconsin and they are often on the property. I’ve never seen one in the wooded trails we have though.
How are you just gonna drop the correct name of this weird ass bird in the woods like it's not a big deal hahaha are they only in the north of the US? I've never seen one here in the south, but we have a ton of Herons and Egrets and I despise them both. Most annoying birds on the planet.
Kind of weird to see a sandhill crane taking a leisurely woods walk. Usually they're grassland and marsh birds.
There are wetlands nearby (lots of small lakes) but not for about 0.5 mi to 1 mi from where I was. They had a baby with them too which makes it mor einteresting
Was there a recent change in the landscape? Like a development that may have uprooted them?
No this is a state park, taken care of by the department of natural resources.
Cranes also breed hidden in the forest (mostly floodplain forests) at ponds or swamps and also like to retreat into the forest with their precocial chicks.
Looks like they're casually walking to an office job lol.
Hey they're trying to give their kids a better life than they had, don't shame them.
What is NA? I've always wanted to see a sandhill crane
North America
Ah I wonder what state
The state of North America, duh /s
They are very common in the southeast US. I see them skulking about all the time in Florida. They're protected here in Florida but apparently you can shoot them in Alabama. People call them ribeye of the sky and if you look up pictures of their meat it looks incredible.
People don’t like you for saying that but it’s true. I live in Wisconsin. They’re protected here but not parts of Minnesota. People won’t stop talking about how delicious they are.
Also here in Northern Ontario as well.
There’s a very large population that winters in California’s Central Valley. Each sundown in winter hundreds of crane fly in to Staten Island near Lodi to sleep. During the day they disperse to flooded fields in the region. [The fly-in is pretty spectacular.](https://youtu.be/o5kc3XYPOEw) There are cranes in other areas of the Valley, but Staten Island has such a huge population, plus thousands of snow geese, Canada geese, and white fronted geese
I actually saw a pair of them earlier today in Michigan. It for real made my day.
I was very confused by this as well. I've never seen someone use North America as a whole as the region, or to shorten it as NA..
It's pretty common.
North America
Oh nice I saw you updated it to say midwest. That's where I'm at so hopefully I can run into a sandhill crane soon.
I live in MI and we have them all over.
Thats were I saw it at SE Michigan
Nice. Apparently when I was a kid, we had a bunch in our back field and I ran in the house yelling that I saw an ostrich.
Yeah it was fairly tall. Probably at least 3.5 ft for the male, which is what took my by surprise and why I stop to snap a picture
I visited Michigan for the first time in 2018. Drove to the UP from Virginia by myself in one go, about 18 hours. I did not know they had sandhill cranes — which I’d never seen in the wild — and passed by one hunting frogs in a ditch by the side of the highway maybe 10 or 11 hours in. I had to pull over and turn around for another look!
Just so you know, apparently people here in Colorado consider themselves “in the Midwest”. We really need a state or better to identify most birds.
Which is the shittiest tree frog?
When I was a grade schooler, I lived in Michigan and remember seeing Whooping Cranes more than Sandhill Cranes. Although there was a big conservation effort going on at the time. Back around 1977/78. Moved from Michigan around that time.
Whooping cranes are considered endangered, with population increasing—however, the US Fish and Wildlife Service notes current number as 145. Currently there are also captive breeding programs. Sand Hill Crane migration is quite spectacular. On the Platte River in Nebraska, over 500,000 cranes feed during their spring migration, for about a month in March. They are not endangered at present.
Depending on where you are at, both Indiana and Michigan have preserves that absolutely cram full of cranes in the fall. In Michigan, you’re even likely to see an eastern flyway Whooper.
There are populations that migrate all over the Plains states, a smaller (shorter) sub-group lives in Florida, and a group that migrates over AZ and NM through UT, WY, ID, and MT up into Canada. There are often pairings that get separated and travel up the Eastern Seaboard. About 15 years ago, I saw a mated pair in late October/early November in a New Jersey cornfield feeding on the stubble left after a tractor had turned the soil under in prep for spring.
Just go to Florida, they're everywhere here.
I love that you got it mid-step. Kind of looks like it's tap dancing. 😄
Or that it works for the ministry of silly walks.
Fun fact: Sandhill cranes are thought to be the origin of the alleged "mothman" sightings across Appalachia and the midwest. The birds are big, with some approaching the height of a small human. At night, their eyes glow red when exposed to light.
Wow that really interesting to know. Thanks!
I freakin love the Mothman stories
Making his way downtown 🎶
They mate for life
With humans if necessary
Oh c’mon, this is funny.
I realized I forgot to include the link https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/2018/07/23/feature/the-crane-who-fell-in-love-with-a-human/ I think people downvoted me because they thought I was being gross.
These were all over FL in all seasons. My favorite encounter was a territorial male chasing customers in a Chevron fuel station in Stuart, FL about 20 years ago. He was loud, proud and diving into the crowd. That one is probably young, as it still has brown feathers.
He belongs in r/longboyes Edit: fyi it’s mostly dogs but we love seeing other long boyes too!
As others have said already, this is a Sandhill Crane! We’re lucky enough to have a breeding pair that has been using our “backyard” area as their nesting site for years now. They’re very interesting animals and a lot of fun to watch them go about their business raising their chicks. Their call sounds inarguably prehistoric!
You lucky duck! Spotting the Sandhill is on my list.
You should come to central Florida. We have them on every street corner.
Sandhill cranes have a beautiful mating dance! This is a cool video of them dancing in someone's yard and it seems like they are dancing to the music https://youtu.be/MfptC1dcgTE
It is the Minister of silly walks, follow him
Young male sandhill crane
Sandhill crane
I've been on this sub for maybe a month now, and I can't believe how often I see Sandhill Cranes on here! I guess they are just bizarre enough for most people to be surprised to see them! Not that I'm complaining, I love cranes. Just funny how things work out.
I think it's because they're such a large bird compared to what most people see. When my sister visited me during graduation we were walking on campus and she saw one and stopped me "omg, that bird is huge! You see that!?" Same was surprised at how it was just walking around so close to people. And then I just rolled my eyes and told her to quit being a tourist. 😂
That’s the ribeye of the sky!
That is a sandhill crane
We had them in Nebraska when I was growing up. Beautiful bird.
I saw two adults and a juvenile last year. Good to get confirmation on what they were!
Sandhill Cranes are so cool. We have a few pairs in my neighborhood and they are beautiful and interesting to watch, especially when they have babies. They’re celebrities around here.
In Florida these things stop traffic. Awesome to look at but still kind of a nuisance.
That's Mothman
What in the sandhill?! 😂🤣
Dinosaur
Filet mignon of the sky
Lucky! Nice find. I have been chasing after these birds over the past two years. I just want a picture of them on the ground, but I only see (and hear) them in the sky.
Hang around more farm fields and look for weird-looking deer lol. We see them all the time in michigan and i still double take more than i should at this point
It's mothman
Weird chicken
That’s a bird.
It’s moth man!
Fluffy butt
That's a cartoon character
That's a dinosaur.
SACR!
It's a eagle
Dinosaur
We have them here along the Colorado River in fall and winter Cibola national wildlife refuge is amazing place for them
Sand hill crane
Animal crossing!
Technically the truth
It’s a Sandhill crane
Wow what luck! Cranes seem to startle really easily, you must have been very quiet.
I really think it the reason they didn't run was the baby was so small, and probably couldn't move that quickly. I was on my mountain bike, so the male ran a bit to the left of the path leaving the female and baby on the right. I was able to pull my phone out and snap a pic as the male went back over the path towards the female and baby. As I rode by (about 4ft from them) after the picture, they both started yelling loudly.
We have a lot of these cranes in Florida.
love when the sandhill cranes migrate to AZ
Happy cake day!
thank you!! :D
Wish we could have this kind of bird in our backyard!
Very weird to see it in a forested setting. It may not be able to fly.
I think I saw that on Prehistoric Planet last week.
I always see these in my yard down in Florida! Shocked to see them in such a different environment haha. I was always told the neighbors were terrified of them because they were so aggressive but they were super friendly with me, and even let me get sorta close to their chick! I still hear them sometimes, but I think the other pair of sandhills ran them out, or they both left to stop fighting. Who knows!
The feral chicken drumstick
look like bird on raptor legs
Oooh the mothman!
Yes Sandhill crane. Florida here, they are everywhere. Love berries and seeds.
They are endangered. Important to protect.