Feathery Friday: When the Cranes Dance It’s Magic

One of my favorite species to watch and photograph is the Sandhill Crane, which winters in the wildlife refuges of California’s Central Valley. I’ve been photographing them for well over a decade, and I never get tired of watching them in their winter habitats. One of the things that happens during the winter is that unpaired cranes will pair off, and in spring fly north together to a nesting place. Cranes will generally bond for life, although if a crane loses its partner, it will typically form a new bond with another bird. As part of this pairing off process, to help attract a mate and convince them to join them, the cranes — dance. They flutter, they jump, they prance around showing off to prospective mates — and if you are lucky enough to see this in person, it is truly a magical moment.

Here, we see a male Sandhill Crane dancing for the ladies, with three of them watching (and presumably judging the performance and his suitability), with one more crane hanging out and utterly uninterested in the proceedings.

If you ever get a chance to see the cranes dance, you will not regret it.

Gear Notes: Fuji X-T2, 100-400 + 1.4xTC at 295mm, 1/1800 at F6.8, ISO 400