A
Whooping Crane
Photo credit: ICF
Crane sounds: USGS/NorthWord Press
The
Endangered Birds of Florida
The Florida Cranes
To begin: what is a Bird?
A Bird is a warm blooded,
bipedal (two legs)
vertebrate (has a backbone)
with feathers,
bills and wings and most can
fly.
It lays eggs to reproduce and
many theories have
it classified as a direct
descendant of Dinosaurs,
dating back to the Jurassic
period.
There are 2 Crane species in Florida,
the Whooping Crane and the Sandhill
Crane.
Both are Endangered in
Florida.
These 2 Cranes are the only ones in North
America
and are most likely the oldest birds on
Earth,
dating back possibly to over 6 million
years.
The Whooping Crane in Florida
is an experimental group.
Florida Sandhill Cranes
Photo credit:
SFWMD
There are 2 kinds of Sandhill Cranes in
Florida,
resident and migratory.
Our snowbirds start returning
about the end of October
and usually stay until
Spring or around April.
Their numbers vary each year
and when they are here it is wonderful.
They can be seen standing in
the fields of nearly every road in our area.
Cranes normally
have 2 chicks/babies,
but rarely do they both survive.
As with other great birds, they
care for their young together.
Both Crane species mate for life, however
if their
mate dies or is killed, they
will remate.
Crane lifespan averages about 20-24 years.
To learn more about each
Crane,
please see their individual
pages.
