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The Mississippi Sandhill Crane Makes a Comeback
Conservation efforts have helped protect the crane’s savanna habitat
© Under the same moon...
While most Sandhill Cranes migrate, the Mississippi population lives year-round in wet pine savanna near the Gulf Coast. Their dependence on this unique habitat caused their population to plummet to just 35 when the savanna began to disappear. Through the Endangered Species Act, an almost 20,000- acre wildlife refuge was established for the cranes and the population has begun to recover.
BirdNote®
The Mississippi Sandhill Crane Makes a Comeback
Written by Georgia Sparling
This is BirdNote. I’m Georgia Sparling, a writer and podcaster from Southern Mississippi.
[Sandhill Crane calls]
There's something arresting about the Mississippi Sandhill Crane. Long-legged and four feet tall, they’re almost exclusively gray with a striking rust-colored crown on their heads.
The birds are anything but subtle.
On more than one morning I’ve heard the arrival of these cranes — the slap of their substantial wings and the echo of their almost prehistoric calls across the wet pine savannas near the Gulf Coast.
[Sandhill Crane calls]
But they don’t venture far from here. While almost all Sandhill Cranes migrate, the Mississippi subspecies is an exception to the rule. They live year-round in these unique savanna habitats, a blend of open woodland and wetland.
So, when the savanna began to disappear, they did, too. In 1973, there were only about 35 left, all concentrated in one small corner of the state.
Through the Endangered Species Act, almost 20,000 acres of wildlife refuge was established for the cranes. Ongoing conservation efforts have seen these majestic birds begin to recover.
Today there are more than 150 Mississippi Sandhill Cranes, and the sight of them grazing along bayous and fields is no longer a rarity. As Wildlife Biologist Scott Hereford says, “Things are definitely looking up.”
[Sandhill Crane calls]
For BirdNote, I’m Georgia Sparling.
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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Field recording by Georgia Sparling
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Sandhill Crane ML279522661 recorded by Jeffrey Harris.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote February 2023
Narrator: Georgia Sparling
ID# SACR-03-2023-02-08 SACR-03
Georgia Sparling
Writer NarratorSights & Sounds
