The Science Mouse

In late winter, sandhill cranes begin to leave their winter homes in Texas, New Mexico and Mexico.  They may travel as much as 350 miles a day on their way back to northern Canada where they will nest and raise their young.  Theirs is a staged migration which means that they do not fly the whole way.  Instead they stop and take a much needed break along the Platte River in central Nebraska.  The birds begin arriving in late February and the last are gone by early April.

Sandhill cranes are three to four feet tall with a six to seven foot wingspan.  They weigh six to twelve pounds, or about as heavy as a sack of flour.  Here is a full-sized model of a sandhill crane compared to my three year old sister.

My sister compared to a sandhill crane. Photo by The Science Mouse.

They spend their days foraging for food in the fields near the Platte River around Kearney, Nebraska.  They are looking for insects, left over grain from last year’s harvest and the particularly like cow patties.  They are actually looking for the insects that are attracted to the cow patties.  Therefore, they are mostly found in farmer’s fields and will also feed alongside cattle.  They do not damage farmers’ crops because they are only feeding on the spilled leftovers from the previous year.

Sandhill cranes foraging in a farmer's field. Photo by The Science Mouse.

They also dance to attract mates.  They walk toward each other, jump and flap their wings.

Crane dance. Photo by The Science Mouse.

They face many dangers during their migration.  Some fly into power lines, get hit by cars, killed by predators, or just get worn out during the long journey.  We believe that this crane ran into a power line.  We found its body near a power line and you can see that its beak is buried in the ground and its neck twisted.

A crane that didn't make it. Photo by The Science Mouse.

To help the cranes see the power lines, reflectors may be placed on them which flutter in the wind.  These reflectors are on the power lines near Rowe Sanctuary.

Reflectors to prevent sandhill cranes from running into the power lines. Photo by Dana Hanley.

In the evening, the cranes begin to fly back to the Platte River.  They actually sleep in the shallow water of the river.  They do this because if a predator tries to attack them, the splashing noise acts as a warning.  This is why the Platte River is so important to their survival.

Sandhill cranes roosting on the Platte River. Photo by The Science Mouse.

We enjoyed our journey to see the sandhill cranes and hope you enjoy reading more about migration with this month’s edition of the Science Mouse.  If you do any of the projects in this issue or do any artwork related to birds, please email me photos at thesciencemouseATgmailDOTcom and I will include them in my Reader Gallery.

I am changing The Science Mouse to a bimonthly e-zine, but I will be posting science related links between issues.  Check back often for great science related links under recent posts!

If you would like to write for future issues, please check my theme list for topics and due dates.  June’s issue will be all about frogs and amphibians!

In this issue:

Articles

A Day with the Sandhill Cranes

Studying Migration, A History

Flyways, Highways in the Sky

Interviews

Interview with Janice at Pioneers Park Nature Center

Reviews

Winged Migration, A Review

Fllute’s Journey

Projects

Building a Bottle Feeder

How to Make a Nesting Bag

Making a Birdhouse

Making Suet with The Science Mouse

Artwork

Robins, in Crayon