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Sandhill Crane
Grus canadensisSandhill Crane
The bird that Robert Cooper saw approaching from the west at 3:30 p.m. on 21 April 1973 was large. Too large for any hawk. He called it to the attention of Jerry and Carol Czech and they all watched it from the Czech home on Whiting Road in Webster. It flew in “somewhat rising wide circles” on a southerly to southwesterly breeze. It was first the Sandhill Crane recorded in the Rochester area in nearly 90 years. “We could see the gray coloration of the bird and the red on the head in the afternoon sunlight. . .It was soaring in circles, with short gliding spells,” Jerry later wrote. A Sharp-shinned Hawk made several dives at it. Five minutes later, the crane finally disappeared to the east over Webster Park. (GOS, June 1973; BA, 19 April 1973) Thus began one of the most exciting recent changes in Rochester bird life. Exactly 30 years later, after annual, steadily increasing sightings, this species was confirmed breeding in Wayne County.
Background
Noted for their “distinctive, penetrating, bugling calls,” these long-legged waders breed in Siberia, Alaska, northern Canada and in states around the Great Lakes, with additional populations in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Florida and Cuba. They normally live up to 20 or more years, but pairs rarely raise more than one young to fledging in a year. Young remain with parents up to 10 months. They prefer isolated, open marshes or bogs, surrounded by shrubs and forests, and also expansive grasslands for nesting. Total population was estimated at 652,500 to 715,300 in 1992, and increasing. (BNA 31: 1,5, 16)
Local history
Eaton (1910) noted that one of these stately birds was collected at Albion in 1880, and another in Clarendon about 1886. The latter may have actually been one “in fine plumage” that was shot by a Brockport resident on 20 May 1885, and mounted for display in a Brockport meat market. (Eaton I: 269) That was apparently the last occurrence in New York until 1948; not until 1965-1970 did this species begin to appear with any frequency in the state, Bull (1974) noted. (Bull, p. 213) The first modern sighting in our region was at Webster on 16 April 1973. (KB 23:145)The breeding range at that point extended just to our west in Canada and Michigan.Not reported again in our region until five years later, but then annually from 1978-81 and from 1984 on, in increasing numbers.
Status
Monroe County annotated list (1985) described this as an occasional, very rare visitant. Now a regular spring transient, local breeder and occasional year-round visitant.
Occurrence
Spring: There has been a steady increase in sightings of migrating birds along the lakeshore. Twenty-three birds – singly or in small groups – were seen in the region in spring 2000. (KB 50:283) Five years later, 47 were tallied at the spring hawkwatch at Braddock Bay. (LG, July/August 2005)
Spring maxima: 11 on 28 March 1998 (M. Tetlow, Hawks et al) at Braddock Bay. (GOS, May 1998) 17 on 31 March 2005 (Davids, mob) at Braddock Bay. (LG, May 2005) 8 on 27 April 1989 at Braddock Bay. (KB39: 171) Summer/Breeding status: Pairs were reported into June 2002 at Taylor Marsh, Ontario County and in Savannah, Wayne County. (KB 52:347) On 5 June 2003 two adults with a chick were observed along Carncross Road for the first confirmation of breeding in Region 2. “John Van Neil and John Foust kept birders aware of the progress of (the) colt that was discovered in the Montezuma wetlands complex just north of the main wildlife refuge. The trio was watched anxiously all summer as the immature progressed. Sandhill Cranes have been found in previous years in this area, but this is the first confirmed nesting record for NYS,” NYSARC noted. (KB 56:9)The colt did not survive, nor did the subsequent offspring as the cranes continued to breed at Savannah through at least 2007. (KB 56: 336; LG, July/August 2007)Probable breeding was also recorded for a block at Sodus Bay and at Taylor Marsh during the second BBA project. Fall: First fall record was an adult on 2 November 1987 (Davids, D. Tetlow) along Armitage Road, Wayne County. (LG, January 1988) Three from 19-26 November 1996 (J. Fox, mob) were at Richmond. (LG, December 1996) Nine on 19-30 November 2006 (McGowan) were at Savannah. (LG, January 2007)
Winter: One on 10 December 1994 (Griffith) at Braddock Bay was our first record in winter (GOS, February 1995); individuals were seen at Hamlin Beach, Braddock Bay and at Greece (mob) on 3, 16 and 27-31 December 1998. (LG, February 1999) This involved at least two individuals, since one immature and one adult were among the sightings. One on 31 January 2006 (D. Tetlow) at Savannah remained to 5 February. (LG, March, April 2006) Another on 3 January 2007 (D. Tetlow, Davids) was at the mucklands there. (LG, March 2007)Seven on 5 December 2007 (VanNoy) were at Hogan Point, prompting Dave Tetlow to observe “seven Sandhill Cranes in a flock is always a wonderful sight. Is this species becoming an expected find in winter?” (LG, February 2008)
Misc.
An “incredibly bizarre” Sandhill Crane on 31 May 1997 “enjoyed snacking on bird seed in Williamson.” (LG, June/July 1997)
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