Sandhill Cranes in the Neighborhood

Richard Rathe, July 2023

We’ve had a family of four Sandhill Cranes lounging around our neighborhood for the past few weeks. These birds are endemic to Florida and do not migrate. Apparently there are two other non-migratory subspecies found in Mississippi and Cuba.

A group of Cranes is referred to as a herd, sedge, or sege. The juvenile birds are referred to as colts.

Note the widow's peak on the top bird in the photo above!

The brown color on the adult birds is a form of camouflage that they apply by painting mud onto their feathers!