Cranes gather in groups

Photos: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis
Crane family in grain field
 
Crane; Eurasian crane    Sookurg      Grus grus
 
The cranes that have nested here gather in groups that mark the beginning of the autumn migration. In September migrants arrrive here from the north as well as northeast and the migration still lasts even in November.
 
The large adults in grey plumage have a red patch on the crown, from the eye to the neck runs a white band. The large primaries and the legs are black, the beak greenish brown. The curly bundle of tail feathers consists of ”decorative feathers”  - body length above a metre, wing span two and a half metres and weight around 5-6 kilos. The juveniles are still smaller than the adults, with a slightly lighter plumage, head brownish-coloured and the adults still take care of them.
 
They let hear a resounding trumpeting mixed with loud squeaks of this year’s young birds.
 
The crane is a long-time native nester in Estonia (there are about 7 000 nesting pairs) and the passing migrants, still to arrive, number tens of thousands. There are more than 30 well known stopping places for cranes in Estonia  – in the vicinity of Matsalu bay and in western Estonia but also the Lahemaa area and East Estonia.
 
The menu of cranes is varied: consisting of wild berries as well as frogs and reptiles. They go foraging on large harvested corn fields: spilled grain is picked up and mice hunted; mice in turn go there to enjoy the grains. Sometimes large potato fields are visited.
 
Overnight areas may be quite far from the daytime foraging areas.
 
Observations of cranes can be studied here: LINK
 
Young crane in grain field


 

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