Cranes ID?

<p>Please, comment on the coloration of these cranes.</p><div></div>

<p>There are numerous species of cranes in the world. What country was this taken in? The face pattern doesn't resemble our two in the United States/Canada.</p>

<p>They look like sandhill cranes.</p>

<p>I took the photos in E.Washington State up in the Colombia River Plateau, just a few miles where I live, near Brewster. These cranes just arrived by the thousands about ten days ago and some of them moved on. Is this vibrant coloration proper for sandhill cranes or only the young cranes are like this.</p>

<p>Sandhill Cranes. According to Peterson the adult is a grey bird, often stained with rust.</p>

<p>John</p>

<p>Definitely a Sandhill Crane. For any of you who don't have this guide...IT IS AWESOME!<br>

In reference to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kaufman-Field-Guide-Birds-America/dp/0618574239">"<strong>Kaufman: Field Guide to Birds of North America</strong>"</a><br>

"Highly social and quite localized, may occur in large flocks in some places and be absent elsewhere. Sandhill Cranes nest around marshes, but in migration and winter may feed on waste and grains in open fields. Adult all gray with red patch on head, sometimes brown staining on body feathers, juveniles have brownish head. Different shape of Great Blue Herron , with shorter bill, bushy tuft of feathers over rump."</p>

<p>Sandhill Crane for sure. More (including sound file) at:<br /> http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/id<br /> Here in NE Wisconsin they arrived on March 23rd (according to the local waterfowl preserve center).</p>

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<p>Yes, Sandhill Cranes. The Washington State and by the 1000s confirms that.</p>

<p>One place they winter is here in Central CA not far from my house. They are cool birds.</p>

<p>The town of Othello in central Washington has a Sandhill Crane festival every year (recently concluded for 2010), and people come from all over to see the birds. I missed it because I was in Montana for the thousands of snow geese that stop over at Freezeout Lake.</p>