Saturday, September 21, 2013

Answering the Crane's Call: 40 Years of Preserving Grace

From Asia to North America, these tall birds with haunting cries have been woven into paintings, literature and folk tales. But today, 10 of the world's 15 crane species are threatened, and some are on the brink of extinction. (NPR).

http://www.npr.org/2013/09/08/219764625/answering-the-cranes-call-40-years-of-preserving-grace

Video: Japanese Crane Courtship Dances

The Japanese crane, also known as the red-crowned crane, is one of the rarest cranes in the world. Adult cranes usually mate for life and these bonds are reinforced in a stunning courtship dance. (Earthflight, PBS). http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/earthflight/video-japanese-crane-courtship-dances/8427/

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Wise old birds teach migration route to young whooping cranes

A study of captive-bred whooping cranes found that young birds learn their migration routes over many years, and migrating alongside older birds improves the migratory efficiency of younger birds.

http://bit.ly/17EuMo6

Image: Joseph Duff/Operation Migration USA Inc.

Locals provide insight on origins of mysterious exotic bird


"Dr. Giancarlo Malnati and his wife, Iole, were in Africa for 11 years, according to their daughter Dr. Rosa Malnati, a podiatrist in Ocala. She said her mother adopted a pair of East African crowned cranes as chicks and raised them there. When the family went back to Italy, the pet birds went as well. Ten years later, the family moved to America." - By Susan Smiley-Height, Assistant city editor

http://www.ocala.com/article/20130902/ARTICLES/130909971

First cranes breed in Scotland since Middle Ages




"The common crane has bred successfully in Scotland for the first time since the Middle Ages in a major boost for ornithology north of the Border, it emerged yesterday." - by Frank Urquhart, The Scotsman

One of the common crane chicks born and reared in Scotland. Picture: RSPB