Common Crane - Nebraska

Since the first North American sighting and photographic record of Common Crane, Grus grus, at Cavendish, Alberta, 11-20 December 1957, the species has been casual on the Great Plains.  Nebraska has the most records of this Eurasian species, with the latest coming from near Rowe Sanctuary, on Thursday, 6 March, found by Sharon Stiteler and Stan Tekiela and 8 others with a birding group from Minnesota.

The origin of Common Cranes in North America is unclear but Lesser Sandhill Crane, G. c. canadensis, has a Siberian breeding population that winters in North America.  In Russia, Common Crane is an uncommon species that breeds in Western Siberia and southern East Siberia and may join up with Lesser Sandhills on their way to North American wintering grounds.  In North America there is documentation of a Common Crane x Sandhill Crane with hybrid offspring.

As of Sunday, 9 March, the Common Crane, ABA Code 4,  was located in Kearney County, south of Rowe Sanctuary. The bird was in a flock of Sandhill Cranes in a cornfield on the north side of W Road about half-a-mile west of Lowell Road.

Bill Maynard

Editor - Winging It