Another little beauty from Circle B Bar Ranch Reserve. This vulnerable 8-day old Sandhill Crane colt gets around quite well, but keeps close to his parents. They will be watchful caregivers for about the next 10 months.
Adult Sandhill Cranes (who are a stately 4-5 feet tall) mate for life and have only 1-3 young per nesting season. The young are able to leave the nest and follow the parents a day after hatching.
Sandhill Cranes are most often found in open meadows, prairies, or near fresh water marshes and wetlands, and their range covers much of North America.
Here is an amazing FUN FACT from the International Crane Foundation: “A crane fossil found in Nebraska from the Pliocene period (5.3-2.6 million years ago) appears structurally identical to the modern Sandhill Crane, making it one of the oldest known bird species!”
Be sure to check this wonderful All About Bird site for much more fascinating information on these tall, elegant birds!
Birder's Journey 
So cute! I love the call of the adults. It’s sort of magical.
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Very cute, yes! It’s amazing to think that such a little bird will become such a tall and stately creature as his parents!
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Stunning family and great info. Who knew that Sandhill cranes were that ancient and lived in Nebraska?
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This was a real surprise for me, too. Quite the History. ☺️
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Lovely post BJ especially loved the baby crane pic😊
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Me too, he was just irresistible!
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I love them. They winter near The Holler.
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Lucky you to have them nearby as well. We actually often see them around parks and baseball fields, of all things, in Palm Beach County!
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Adorable!
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Agreed! ☺️
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Awe. What a cutie pie!
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His behavior is as cute as his looks. Great fun to observe.
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Gorgeous!
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This little family was such a treat to watch. We saw them in the evening and then again the next day in the morning hours.
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Delightful photos and informative post!
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Thanks, Belinda. We were so fortunate to catch this when the little one was only a week old.
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What a beauty! I’m impressed by seeing this little crane. Great capture Carol. 🙂
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Thank you! We were lucky to see this little fellow with his parents two days in a row.
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Wow, how lovely! Beautifully captured. 🙂
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Thanks very much Amy! It was truly a lovely little domestic scene.
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Wonderful shots, especially of the chick. Thanks.
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Thank you so much!
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Wonderful pictures and video, B.J.!
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So adorable!!
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So true, Donna 🙂
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The little guy with the light behind him is one of my fave photos of yours! So fuzzy and sweet! (Crazy fact!)
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Yes, very fuzzy and very sweet ;-). They grow so fast….wonder how he’s doing now ….
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so cute isn’t it. great photo
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Adorable… and fun to get up close to him like this!
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Thank you for this wonderful video. I have not been fortunate enough to witness a colt growing up, as cranes don’t breed anywhere near Colorado Springs. But their twice-yearly migration through Colorado’s San Luis Valley is a marvelous event I have beheld a couple of times. I never tire of seeing or hearing these inspiring birds.
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We have a little family of 4 in our local refuge right now, too. The colts are growing so big already!
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Enjoy!
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