15 replies to this topic

[PanHanNE]

Garden County Nebraska (panhandle)
photo from Sept 2009

Fall migration, 2009

The white guy that is standing just down the hill/slope behind the Sandhill Cranes. Two views- same bird.

[hawkhenries]

Sure looks like a Sandhill except color. Albino??? Really hard to tell but it is really nice~

[Liam]

It appears to be a leucistic Sandhill. Whooping have a black face crescent and are larger than Sandhill. This bird is about the same size as the surrounding Sandhill and has the red crown and face. Here are some photos I found on Google of a leucistic Sandhill (maybe even the same individual as your bird):
http://www.flickr.co...com/6793534927/
http://www.flickr.co...dad/6788971309/

Nice find!

[hawkhenries]

The white is striking!!

[cestma]

Fascinating!

[PanHanNE]

As to size, it is standing downslope behind the other cranes, and is larger, look at the first photo above (or 0143 below) for a comparison of "length" and "height" compared to the bird standing uphill in front of it.

I sure cant see any red on it. Here are the 4 photos I had, uncropped, unedited, very pixelated, and super bad, but no red.

http://www.gardencon...ds/100_0143.jpg
http://www.gardencon...ds/100_0144.jpg
http://www.gardencon...ds/100_0145.jpg
http://www.gardencon...ds/100_0146.jpg

[cestma]

The shape of the facial marking is different from that of a whooper (having just looked it up!). As Liam said, theirs is a crescent shape. Also, you can't see much red in the sandhills, either, in those lighting conditions. At least I can't.

[TheBillyPilgrim]

Pretty sure Liam is right, this is a leucistic Sandhill. Really neat bird, I'm jealous!

[PanHanNE]

Liam most likely is correct. He usually is.

I know believe that that same year, there was a Siberian Crane spotted in the same area during the same week. I wanted to rule that one out, too.

I do not know what to look for in a Siberian.

[psweet]

To clarify a bit -- a Whooping Crane has a red malar area in addition to the red on the crown that you see on Sandhills. A Siberian Crane (I hadn't heard that one had been seen out there -- any further info?) would have a mostly black neck in addition to the red cap, and a black 'bustle'.

[psweet]

Actually, if it was 2009, wasn't that a Common Crane? In which case he'd have a black neck and crown stripe.

[PanHanNE]

Actually, if it was 2009, wasn't that a Common Crane? In which case he'd have a black neck and crown stripe.

The Common Crane that was spotted in the spring of that year was photo'd, and you can see that photo here:
http://www.cranevalleyranch.com/Pages/Sales/Goat-Milk-Soap.asp

I can ask the gentleman that told me about the (I believe it was) a Siberian Crane when I see him again. It may be several weeks before I do see him again, though.

[psweet]

If there was a Siberian Crane, it either wasn't documented or the documentation wasn't accepted by the Nebraska Ornithologist's Union -- it's not on their checklist for the state.

[PanHanNE]

Someone was pullin my leg, huh?

Leucistic it is.

Edit: Does that count as a seperate bird from a Sandhill Crane?

[creeker]

Someone was pullin my leg, huh?

Leucistic it is.

Edit: Does that count as a seperate bird from a Sandhill Crane?

Not on your life list, but why not start a sub-category of leucistic birds?

[JimUSNY]

Not on your life list, but why not start a sub-category of leucistic birds?

thats would be an easy list for me, only a rt hawk (my Avatar) and a mourning dove for me so far