I just love Florida, especially in the spring! The sandhill cranes
absolutely fascinate me. These birds are so majestic, and their offspring seen this
time of year are incredibly awkward and adorable. This region is so rich with
amazing wildlife, I thought I would share a little about one of my
favorites. The picture was taken recently in the community of Gran Paradiso,
and the information to follow about these lovely creatures comes straight from
the Florida Fish &
Wildlife Conservation site.
One thing of great importance to remember with Florida wildlife, really
typical of anywhere, is to remember not to feed them. With alligators, it is of
particular priority so that they do not associate humans with food. Feeding
them becomes life-threatening to both them and their human neighbors. Likewise,
cranes being fed by humans become aggressive to people.
Sandhill cranes are cherished members of the Florida ecosystem. They stand
almost 4 feet tall and their bugling or rattling calls are haunting and
beautiful. Sandhill cranes occur in pastures, open prairies and freshwater
wetlands in peninsular Florida from the Everglades to the Okefenokee Swamp.
Florida sandhill cranes are present in many urban areas and some unlikely
places such as golf courses, airports and suburban subdivisions. This is
probably due in part to the rapid development of their native habitat by
humans. Cranes are probably attracted by the open setting (mowed grass) and
availability of some foods (acorns, earthworms, mole crickets, turf grubs).
People inadvertently put them in harms way when they attract these birds
to their yards with feed. Some "feeding" is accidental such as when
bird seed is spilled from feeders by other animals onto the ground below making
a nice feeding station for cranes. But, some people deliberately feed sandhill
cranes. In 2002, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission made it
illegal to feed sandhill cranes (Florida Fish and Wildlife Code 68A-4.00(3)).
Why is feeding cranes
prohibited?
Cranes fed by humans can become aggressive toward people. In several
instances, children have been attacked by cranes. Cranes fed by humans also
have been known to damage window screens and do other property damage. This
behavior is probably a response of the birds to seeing their reflection,
bringing out a territorial defense behavior (scratching at windows or shiny
automobiles). Cranes also are more likely to tangle in human garbage in areas
populated by people. Cranes are more likely to crash into power lines in urban
areas where such aerial hazards are concentrated. Cranes attracted to people's
yards for feed are put at risk as they walk across roads. Many sandhill cranes
are killed each year on Florida roads (see photo). Attracting cranes to urban
areas increases the threat of predation (especially to young cranes) by dogs or
cats. Further, the cranes' diets, which normally are quite diverse, are
disrupted when they eat one food item (such as corn), consistently. Heavy
pesticide use in urban lawns also is of concern. Young sandhill cranes have
died from pesticide poisoning.
Conclusion
It's never a good idea to feed wildlife. People inadvertently put cranes
in harms way when they attract these birds to their yards with feed. Florida
sandhill cranes have an abundance of natural foods (insects and small animals)
and they do not need handouts from humans. There are many reasons why cranes
should not be intentionally fed by humans. For the good of the cranes, please
do not feed them.
Four things you can
do to better coexist in "Crane Country"
Never feed cranes and encourage your neighbors not to feed cranes. Cranes
are less likely to inhabit urban areas if easy meals are not provided.
Cover or move automobiles so that cranes cannot see their reflections in
the shiny surfaces. Windows or glass doors that the cranes attack can be
temporarily covered with material so that the birds do not see their
reflections.
Temporarily cover windows or screens. A string mounted on stakes about 2.5
feet off the ground will provide an exclusion "fence" around the
parts of homes (window or pool screens) that are being damaged by cranes.
Accept some digging for food. Cranes sometimes damage lawns and gardens as
they dig for food such as mole crickets and beetle grubs. The birds, in this
case, provide natural "biological control" of these common pests of
turf.
Sandhill Crane: Grus
canadensis
Appearance:
Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) are long-legged, long-necked, gray,
heron-like birds with a patch of bald, red skin on top of their head. Cranes
fly with necks outstretched like geese, whereas herons fly with necks tucked in
on their backs. For positive identification, look for reddish skin on top of
the crane's head.
Habitat:
Two subspecies of sandhill crane occur in Florida. The Florida sandhill crane (G. c. pratensis),
numbering 4,000 to 5,000, is a non-migratory year-round breeding resident. They are joined every winter by 25,000
migratory greater sandhill cranes (G. c. tabida), the larger of the two
subspecies. The greater sandhill crane winters in Florida but nests in the
Great Lakes region. Sandhill cranes nest during late winter and spring on mats
of vegetation about two feet in diameter and in shallow water.
Behavior:
Two eggs are normally laid. Cranes are monogamous breeders. Within 24
hours of hatching, the young are capable of following their parents away from
the nest. Together, they forage for seeds and roots, crop plants such as corn
and peanuts, insects, snakes, frogs and occasionally young birds or small
mammals.
Cranes are quite omnivorous feeding
on seeds, grain, berries, insects, earthworms, mice, small birds, snakes,
lizards, frogs, crayfish, but do not "fish" like herons.
Resident sandhill cranes are usually seen in very small groups or
pairs. In November and December,
however, large flocks of northern cranes move in, more than doubling the
population in the state and then leave during March and April. The sandhill crane is a close relative to the
nearly extinct whooping crane, which is being reintroduced into the state.
Young sandhills weigh about twelve pounds, males are larger than females, but
external markings are identical. Cranes live to be older than most birds, some
reaching 20 years old.
If you'd like more
information on anything in particular, just let me know. Also, I would love any
feedback on what you would like to see for future blog topics.
Thanks for reading
and have a blessed day!
Ali
If you are considering purchasing a home in this community, please let me
assist you. My services and extensive resources are of no cost to you, and in
most instances, I am able to save home buyers some money. I do not work for any of the wonderful
builders in the West Villages Improvement District, or any others for that
matter. My services and information (including the resources provided on all
of my
websites) are wholly independent of these developers. No other independent
professional is more knowledgeable about this community, and enlisting me to
assist with your transaction serves also to fund these resources to keep them
available for you and others on an ongoing basis.
Look forward to hearing from you!
Ali
Aileen “Ali” Johnston, MHA
(currently working on an MBA in Real Estate)
Realtor®, Hoover Realty LLC
Mobile: 941-539-5771
