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

]]> http://www.sciencemouse.com/2009/04/a-day-with-the-sandhill-cranes/feed/ 4 http://www.sciencemouse.com/2009/04/flyways-highways-in-the-sky/ http://www.sciencemouse.com/2009/04/flyways-highways-in-the-sky/#comments Fri, 10 Apr 2009 04:41:22 +0000 Mouse http://www.sciencemouse.com/?p=291 by The Science Mouse

When people drive long distances, we usually travel along highways and interstates.  These roads are designed so that you can keep going fast for long distances because there are not many stop lights or stop signs.  Ramps allow traffic to get on and off without making the other cars slow down.  There is a whole system of highways in the United States which generally go either from east to west or from north to south, connecting major cities along the way.  When birds travel long distances during their migration, they use a sort of highway system, too.  These are called flyways.

According to the msn encarta definition of flyway is a

birds’ migration route: a traditional route taken by migrating birds

In North America, there are four major flyways.  Each of them follows the geography of the country which helps birds find their way.  The winds in these areas also make updrafts which allow birds to fly high while using less energy.

General location of North American Flyways. Original map from http://www.freeworldmaps.net/

Many birds travel along these flyways, at least for a time, until they get close to their destination.  The Pacific, Central and Mississippi flyways actually all come together in southern Texas.  This makes southern Texas an exciting place for birdwatching in the spring and fall.  People come from all over the world to add new species to their life list, a list of all the birds you have seen.

Next time you see a flock of birds fly overhead, think about the bird highways they travel on.  What a great way to travel!

Sandhill Cranes migrating over central Nebraska. Photo by Dana Hanley

Where do birds go in the winter?  This question has been asked by a lot of people for a very, very long time.  The poet Homer was one of the first people to write about bird migration over 3000 years ago.  Aristotle wrote about cranes and how they traveled from the steppes of Scythia to the source of the Nile.  Even the bible mentions bird migration.

Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, stretches his wings toward the south?  –Job 39:26

Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons; and the turtledove and the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration; but my people do not know the ordinance of the LORD. –Jeremiah 8:7

Other people had some funny ideas about what happened to the birds each winter.

In The History of Animals (350 B.C.), Aristotle writes:

The cuckoo is said by some to be a hawk transformed, because at the time of the cuckoo’s coming, the hawk, which it resembles, is never seen and indeed it is only for a few days that you will see hawks about when the cuckoo’s note sounds early in the season.

Some also thought that the European robin turned into a redstart and that other birds also transformed.  It seems impossible to us, but to the ancient Greeks it was like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

A 16th century woodblock appearing in Swedish Archbishop Olaus Magnus' "History and Nature of the Northern Peoples"

Europeans in the Middle Ages thought that swallows went under the water and hibernated in the mud.  They thought that because the swallows kept diving at the water to drink.  Aristotle also wrote about the possibility of other birds hibernating in hollow trees and other hiding places.

In 1703, an Englishman wrote that birds went to the moon!  He thought it took them 60 days and that they hibernated there.

Some naturalists thought that only big birds were capable of making a long migration journey.  They thought that little birds hitchhiked on their backs!  Some people still believe this  today.

An early example of a bird band, courtesy http://wikipedia.org

In order to find out where birds really go, they band them.  Today the band is a metal ring around the bird’s leg with a number and who to contact if the bird is found. This helps scientists learn more about where birds go.  It shows how far they go and sometimes even how fast they get there.  Over time, scientists can also learn about changes in bird populations.

Henry IV was the first person that we know put a metal band around a bird’s leg.  It was on one of his Peregrine Falcons and it got lost in France.  The Falcon was found 24 hours later 1350 miles away.  It had averaged 56 miles per hour.

John James Audubon, a famous American naturalist and painter, was the first person to band a bird in North America.  In 1803, he tied a string to the legs of baby phoebes nesting in Philadelphia.  A year later, he was able to identify two of the nestlings when they came back to the very same neighborhood.

Dianne from Bunny Trails went to a bird banding event with her family last year and shared pictures on her blog.    I would like to go to a bird banding event someday.  I think bird banding is an interesting way to study birds.

One day my mom took out our wooden bird feeder. I thought I could make
one out of a bottle! Here is a good way to make a bird feeder.

1. Gather supplies.

You need:

A plastic bottle with a cap
Sharp scissors or knife
A stick
A rope

2. Our first feeder’s seeds sprouted, because the moisture did not
drain, so poke small holes in the bottom of the bottle. Be careful not
to cut yourself.

3. About 1-2 inches from the bottom of the bottle, make holes for the
perch. Insert stick and make holes bigger, if needed.

4. Cut holes above the perch for the birds to get the seeds. Holes
should be slightly bigger than the seeds.

5. Tie tether or rope around the top of the bottle, where the cap is,
and tie a loop for hanging.

6. Carefully fill the feeder with sunflower seeds using your hands as
a funnel or get a real funnel.

7. Replace cap and hang in a high tree.

8. It may take three weeks for the birds to find it. Be patient.

Happy bird feeding!

We went to Home Depot to build a birdhouse.  This is how I did it.

First, I opened the package.

Then I hammered the side to the front of the birdhouse.

Then I hammered on the other side.  My brother is working on his birdhouse next to me.

Then I used a screwdriver to screw on the bottom.

Then I put on the plastic back of the birdhouse.  The plastic back lets you see in to see the birds.

I used wood glue to put a board on top.

Then I had to twist in special screws.  It was hard.  I couldn’t do it and needed Daddy’s help!  The special screws are so I can hang up my birdhouse.

I did it!  I nailed in the nail by myself and my birdhouse is almost done!

I just had to glue in the perch.  That is where the birdies will land before they go in their house.

Then I wiped the glue off the perch.

I put the suction cups on so I can hang up my birdhouse.

All finished!  I liked peeking through the back.

I hope a bird builds a nest inside so we can watch it raise its babies.  I hope they will be comfortable in my birdhouse.  I like making birdhouses!

Bug is a three year old homeschooled girl who likes to play with her friends and loves the colors pink and yellow. . .and pink.

We went to Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri to see the migrating birds.

Lewis and Clark came through this area on their expedition.  Then it was a large wetlands with lots of different birds and fish and muskrats and other wild animals.  In his journal, Clark wrote:

Butiful & extensive plain, cover’d with Grass resembling timothy except the Seed which resembles Flax Seed, this plain also abounds in Grapes of different kinds.

Soon after, people began to settle in this area.  They farmed and hunted.  They drained wetlands and there weren’t so many places for animals to hide or to rest.

In 1935, this area was set aside by the Civil Conservation Corps under President Roosevelt to restore some of the wetlands.  It now covers over 7,000 acres and is part of the National Wildlife Refuge system which protects waterfowl.

I really liked all the muskrat lodges in the pools.  Sometims bald eagles perch on them to watch the water birds.

Muskrat lodges at Squaw Creek. Photo by Dana Hanley

We saw a flock of pelicans resting on their way back to their nesting grounds in the northern US and southern Canada.  We even saw some of them flying over us as we drove south on I-29 on the way to the reserve!

American White Pelicans resting at Squaw Creek. Photo by Dana Hanley.

We saw snow geese along with many other kinds of ducks.  There can be up to 300,000 snow geese at the refuge at the peak of migration.  We only saw a couple of flocks, but one had an injured leg.  They are making a journey all the way back to the tundra in northern Canada.

A snow goose. Photo by Dana Hanley.

After visiting grandma’s, we went to Squaw Creek again so my sister (the Science Mouse) could see the birds, too.  We were picking her up after a visit and wanted to show her all the birds we saw.  I liked the trip so much, especially the muskrats even though I thought they were beavers at first.

Bear is a six year old homeschooled boy who loves playing outside and staying in hotels.