Audubon's Birds/BIRDSVER1_3.BIN/dp/0054/00547.txt

Text File | 1992-08-27 | 27KB | 395 lines

$Unique_ID{BRD00547}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{The Whooping Crane}
$Subject{Gruinae; Grus; americana; Whooping Crane}
$Journal{Birds of America:  Volume V}
$Volume{Vol. 5:188-197}
$Family{Gruinae}
$Genus{Grus}
$Species{americana}
$Common_Name{Whooping Crane}
$Log{
Plate CCCXIII*00547p1.scf
Plate CCCXIV*00547p2.scf
Family*00545.txt
Genus*00546.txt
}

       Portions copyright (c) Creative Multimedia Corp., 1990-91, 1992

                       B I R D S   O F   A M E R I C A .

                    By John James Audubon, F. R. SS. L. & E.

                   ------------------------------------------
                                    VOL.  V.
                        --------------------------------


                              THE WHOOPING CRANE.
                         [Whooping Crane.  ENDANGERED.]


                            GRUS AMERICANA, Forster.
                               [Grus americana.]


               PLATE CCCXIII.--ADULT MALE.--PLATE CCCXIV.--YOUNG.


     The variegated foliage of the woods indicates that the latter days of
October have arrived; gloomy clouds spread over the heavens; the fierce blasts
of the north, as if glad to escape from the dreary regions of their nativity,
sport in dreadful revelry among the forests and glades.  Showers of sleet and
snow descend at intervals, and the careful husbandman gathers his flocks, to
drive them to a place of shelter.  The traveller gladly accepts the welcome of
the forester, and as he seats himself by the blazing fire, looks with pleasure
on the spinning-wheels of the industrious inmates.  The lumberer prepares to set
out on his long voyage, the trapper seeks the retreats of the industrious
beaver, and the red Indian is making arrangements for his winter hunts.  The
Ducks and Geese have already reached the waters of the western ponds; here a
Swan or two is seen following in their train, and as the observer of nature
stands watching the appearances and events of this season of change, he hears
from on high the notes of the swiftly travelling but unseen Whooping Crane.
Suddenly the turbid atmosphere clears, and now he can perceive the passing
birds.  Gradually they descend, dress their extended lines, and prepare to
alight on the earth.  With necks outstretched, and long bony legs extended
behind, they proceed, supported by wings white as the snow but tipped with jet,
until arriving over the great savannah they wheel their circling flight, and
slowly approach the ground, on which with half-closed wings, and outstretched
feet they alight, running along for a few steps to break the force of their
descent.
     Reader, see the majestic bird shake its feathers, and again arrange them in
order.  Proud of its beautiful form, and prouder still of its power of flight,
it stalks over the withering grasses with all the majesty of a gallant chief.
With long and measured steps he moves along, his head erect, his eye glistening
with delight.  His great journey is accomplished, and being well acquainted with
a country which has often been visited by him, he at once commences bis winter
avocations.
     The Whooping Crane reaches the Western Country about the middle of October,
or the beginning of November, in flocks of twenty or thirty individuals,
sometimes of twice or thrice that number; the young by themselves, but closely
followed by their parents.  They spread from Illinois over Kentucky, and all the
intermediate States, until they reach the Carolinas on the southern coast, the
Floridas, Louisiana, and the countries bordering on Mexico, in all of which they
spend the winter, seldom returning northward until about the middle of April, or
towards the beginning of May.  They are seen on the edges of large ponds
supplied with rank herbage, on fields or savannahs, now in swampy woods, and
again on extensive marshes.  The interior of the country, and the neighbourhood
of the sea shores, suit them equally well, so long as the temperature is
sufficiently high.  In the Middle States, it is very seldom indeed that they are
seen; and to the eastward of these countries they are unknown; for all their
migrations are performed far inland, and thus they leave and return to the
northern retreats where, it is said, they breed and spend the summer.  While
migrating they appear to travel both by night and by day, and I have frequently
heard them at the former, and seen them at the latter time, as they were
proceeding toward their destination.  Whether the weather be calm or
tempestuous, it makes no difference to them, their power of flight being such as
to render them regardless of the winds.  Nay, I have observed them urging their
way during very heavy gales, shifting from high to low in the air with
remarkable dexterity.  The members of a flock sometimes arrange themselves in
the form of an acute-angled triangle; sometimes they move in a long line; again
they mingle together without order, or form an extended front; but in whatever
manner they advance, each bird sounds bis loud note in succession, and on all
occasions of alarm these birds manifest the same habit.
     I had, in 1810, the gratification of taking ALEXANDER WILSON to some ponds
within a few miles of Louisville, and of shewing him many birds of this species,
of which he had not previously seen any other than stuffed specimens.  I told
him that the white birds were the adults, and that the grey ones were the young.
WILSON, in his article on the Whooping Crane, has alluded to this, but, as on
other occasions, has not informed his readers whence the information came.
     Both old and young may be seen digging through the mud before the rains
have begun to cover the shallow ponds with water, for during summer they become
almost dry.  The birds work very assiduously with their bills, and succeed in
uncovering the large roots of the great water-lily, which often run to a depth
of two or three feet.  Several Cranes are seen in the same hole, tugging at
roots and other substances, until they reach the object of their desire, which
they greedily devour.  While thus engaged, they are easily approached; for if
their heads are bent down they cannot see you, and until they raise themselves
again, to take notice of what may be going on around the place, you may advance
so as to get within shot.  While I watched them at this work, they were
perfectly silent; and as I lay concealed behind a large cypress tree, within
thirty paces of a flock, thus buried, as it were, in the great holes they had
formed, so as to put me in mind of a parcel of hogs or bears at their wallowing
spots, I could plainly see the colour of their eyes, which is brown in the
young, and yellow in the adult.  After observing them as long as I wished, I
whistled, on which they all at once raised their heads to see what the matter
might be.  I had so fair an opportunity that I could not resist the temptation,
especially as several of the birds had their necks so close together that I felt
confident I must kill more than one of them.  Accordingly, just as their last
croaking notes were heard, and I saw them preparing to set to work again, I
fired.  Only two flew up, to my surprise.  They came down the pond towards me,
and my next shot brought them to the ground.  On walking to the hole, I found
that I had disabled seven in all.  Those which were in different holes farther
off, all flew away, uttering loud cries, and did not return that afternoon.  In
the course of a week these birds turned up the earth, and dug holes all over the
dry parts of the ponds.  As soon as heavy rains fill the pools, the Cranes
abandon them, and resort to other places.
     The Sand-hill Cranes resort at times to the fields, in which corn, peas,
and sweet potatoes have been planted, as well as to the cotton plantations.
They feed on the grains and peas, dig up the potatoes, which they devour with
remarkable greediness; and in the wet fields seize on water insects, toads and
frogs, but never, I believe, on fishes.
     This species feeds only during the day.  Besides the objects whi