Monthly Archives: July 2016

Video–Unusual Male Behavior while raising colts

A Kachemak Crane Watch cooperator daily watching a pair of nesting Sandhill Cranes has reported very unusual behavior by the male. The male Sandhill Crane in this Homer Alaska pair does not  feed one of the two chicks as is the norm with most pairs. In fact, he has been downright mean to them. He pecks them and chases them. Two resident eagles sit atop a tree above their foraging area nearly all day every day.  Is he an aberrant male, or does he have a different strategy to keep the family safe?  Check out this behavior in the new video, “Sandhill Crane–Bad Dad?”

 

New Genus for Sandhill Crane

New Genus for Sandhill Crane

The genus Antigone has been split from Grus. Scientific names for Whooping and Common cranes remain unchanged, but Sandhill Crane has changed from Grus canadensis to Antigone canadensis. The other members of Antigone are White-naped Crane*, Brolga*, and Sarus Crane*. Antigone is the name of Oedipus’s daughter/half-sister in Greek mythology.

The above is from the ABA Blog found at: http://blog.aba.org/2016/07/2016-aou-supplement.html

 
Photo by Nina Faust.