A Sandhill Crane Family
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
A Sandhill Crane Family
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
A Sandhill Crane family can be seen in the distance wading in a flooded field on a beautiful autumn day at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.
You can tell this is a mated pair with their juvenile offspring since the juvenile's red crown hasn't come in yet. This Sandhill Crane family is one of the earliest arrivals to Bosque del Apache for the winter season. This juvenile would be one of the earliest to hatch since leaving the nesting area is dependent on how soon the pair's baby is strong enough to make the flight. Also, since Fall has stayed fairly warm some of the birds will hang out a little longer midway, resting up to continue on.
Mom and Dad will continue to teach their baby everything he needs to know to continue on his own. They will stay together through the flight to Nebraska for Spring, where Dad will even play wingman, teaching the juvenile to dance with the girls. When they leave Nebraska after the Spring season, the mated pair will be ready to raise another baby, and the juvenile will join a "bachelor flock" since Sandhill Cranes usually do not mate before four or five years old in the wild. He will most likely continue to be part of the same general habitat as his parents, traveling and feeding together until he's ready to breed.
Copyright 2021 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
November 5th, 2021
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