In mid-February Florida's short winter quickly transforms into summer. One of the most noticeable animal responses to this rapid transition from cool to hot is the Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis).
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Sandhill Cranes live year round in east central Florida in large numbers and as temperatures warm the single cranes start seeing out mates. I've had several bachelor cranes looking for mates at the lake house for weeks now.
Sandhill cranes mate for life. When they form a pair bond, it can last for years, until one of the cranes dies. After a mate passes away, the surviving crane will seek out a new mate.
In the early spring, as sandhill cranes are migrating to their breeding grounds, single cranes will start pairing up. The loudest and most noticeable call made by a sandhill crane is during the mating season. Males and females will perform unison calling to create a bond.
During mating, sandhill cranes perform dancing displays. Although the dancing is most common in the breeding season, the cranes can dance all year long. Sometimes the dance involves wing-flapping, bowing, and jumping. They might also throw a stick or some plants into the air.
When the pair reaches the northern breeding grounds, they mate and build a nest. Cranes build a ground nest out of plant materials. They often have two eggs. The pair will take care of the nest together with the male standing guard.
It takes about a month for the eggs to hatch and over two months for the chicks to be independent. In the fall, the juvenile sandhill cranes migrate south with their parents. After two years, the juvenile cranes reach sexual maturity and begin the search to find their own mates. Sandhill cranes in the wild have a greater chance of dying young, but these cranes can live for 20 years or more.
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