Sandhill cranes begining to take flight on an iced over pond
Sandhills are the most common of all the world's cranes. A fossil from the Miocene Epoch, some ten million years ago, was found to be structurally the same as the modern sandhill crane. Today, these large birds are found predominately in North America. They range south to Mexico and Cuba, and as far west as subspecies of sandhill cranes breed in the Northern , Canada, Alaska, and Siberia. Each winter they undertake long southern journeys to wintering grounds in Florida, Texas, Utah, Mexico, and California. En route, more than three-fourths of all sandhill cranes use migratory staging areas in a single 75-mile (120-kilometer) stretch along Nebraska's Platte sandhill cranes live in freshwater wetlands. They are opportunistic eaters that enjoy plants, grains, mice, snakes, insects, or worms. They often dig in the soil for tubers.
Size: 4320px × 2875px
Location: Bosque Del Apache, New Mwxico
Photo credit: © Jason Rambo / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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