Sandhill Crane Family

I first spotted this family of Mississippi Sandhill Cranes in April. The baby was just a chick and SO cute! But of course, I did not have my camera with me. Today, they were in about the same spot, but the chick was more like a teen (the one in the front.) The color bands on the adults are for tracking.

The Mississippi Sandhill Crane is considered a subspecies and is non-migratory. It's numbers dropped to 35 or so in the early 1980's. They are being managed on a refuge area, and their numbers are now around 120. These birds were off the refuge, but successful in nesting. It is always special when I see these magnificent birds!