Citizen Science: Sandhill Crane Nesting

The annual Sandhill Crane nesting cycle has begun! After arriving, crane pairs paint their feathers, perform elaborate courtship dances, chose a nest, mate, and then lay their eggs. Since pairs arrive at their territories on different dates, eggs will be laid over several weeks and will start hatching during late May into several weeks of June. Help Kachemak Crane Watch gather accurate information for its Nesting Ecology Study by reporting your nesting crane pair. You will know your pair is nesting when only one crane starts showing up. The pair trades nesting duties so one is off the nest feeding, preening, and resting while the other is incubating the eggs.

Please report nesting Sandhill Crane pairs to Kachemak Crane Watch at reports@cranewatch.org or by calling 907-235-6262. Leave your name, phone number, and the location and date when nesting started. KCW does not share nesting site locations with the public for the safety of the cranes and privacy of their human neighbors. Thank you for participating in this Citizen Science effort.

For more information contact: Nina Faust at 907-235-6262 or reports@cranewatch.org

Kachemak Crane Watch is a project of the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies.