Tuleyome's Science Corner - Sandhill Cranes

Kristie Ehrhardt • November 9, 2023

Sandhill Crane by Bob Zeller, National Wildlife Federation

When is the last time you saw a real-live dinosaur? I’m guessing it’s been a while, am I right? If you’d like to get an up close and personal look at a living fossil, look no farther than the wetlands and surrounding habitat types of California’s Central Valley. Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis) are among the oldest living bird species on Earth. Beginning in October, their arrival from their northern breeding grounds creates quite a spectacle as thousands upon thousands of these giant birds arrive in the Central Valley to spend the winter. Their homecoming is announced by their unique and thunderous bugling calls. 


There are 15 species of cranes world-wide with only two species occurring in the United States; Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes. There are three migrating subpopulations of Sandhill Cranes: Lesser, Greater and Canadian, and three non-migratory subpopulations: Mississippi, Florida and Cuban, each occurring in their namesake locations. Both the Mississippi and Cuban subpopulations are critically endangered. Of the three migrating subpopulations, it is the Greater subpopulation that winters here in our region. During the cranes’ migration back to their breeding grounds in the spring, tens of thousands of them congregate along the Platte River in Nebraska. It is there that a fossil from a Sandhill Crane relative estimated to be approximately ten million (!) years old was found.


This living fossil belongs to the taxonomic order Gruiformes which dates back to shortly after the end of the dinosaurs, about 60 million years ago. The oldest conclusive Sandhill Crane fossil dates back about two and a half million years while most modern-day birds’ lineage dates back to less than two million years ago, proving Sandhill Cranes to be much older than most bird species.


Sandhill Cranes are large bulky birds with wingspans from five to seven feet. They stand about five feet tall and can weigh up to twelve pounds. Adults boast mainly slate gray plumage that may be streaked with mud, long necks with pale cheeks, an unmistakable bright crimson cap and their illustrious “bustle” of longer feathers covering their rears. Juveniles have the same gray plumage minus the red cap with the addition of a rusty wash on their on their wings, neck, back and tops of their heads. They are impressive fliers and take advantage of thermals and currents, staying aloft for hours without exerting unnecessary energy. They generally cover up to 300 miles in a single day but some have gone as far as 500 miles with a helpful tailwind. They fly with their necks outstretched and their feet and legs trailing behind them filling the skies with their shape and trumpeting sounds. 


Sandhill Cranes are social and live in pairs or with their family groups, but when it is time to make the journey to their wintering grounds, large groups of unrelated cranes come together to migrate, forage and roost as one extensive unit. They mate for life and use their calls along with their elaborate and graceful dance moves to court and secure their life partners. Once bonded, the pairs build grand, mounded nests made of sedges, reeds and grasses in wetlands or the surrounding uplands. One to three eggs are laid and will hatch about a month later. As is common with ground-nesting birds, the hatchlings begin wandering from the nest after only a few hours. The young begin to fly at about three months of age, but remain with the parents during migration and for the remainder of the year until the next clutch is laid the following season. They are omnivores and their diet changes with their locations and the seasons. While in California they forage for seeds, plants, worms, snails, reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals in open grasslands, fields and wetlands. Sandhill Cranes are famous for their rolling, reverberating calls which are a result of their anatomy. Their trachea is very long and coils into their breast bone which lowers the pitch and amplifies the sound of their call which can be heard for long distances.


They’re only here for a short time and if you’d like to see how special they are just visit the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve and/or the Cosumnes River Preserve from October through February. Cosumnes River Preserve offers guided Sandhill Crane tours. Note, you will need a Lands Pass, or a hunting or fishing license to enter the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve. And, although they’re enormous, you’ll kick yourself if you forget your binoculars!


-Kristie Ehrhardt (kehrhardt@tuleyome.org)


Tuleyome Land Conservation Program Manager

RECENT ARTICLES

By Bryan Pride May 9, 2025
Across the country wildfires are increasingly more catastrophic; growing larger, spreading faster and burning longer than before. Nationwide, the total acres burned rose dramatically from 2.7 million in 2023 to nearly 9 million in 2024 . California is averaging more than 7,500 wildfires annually . Not including the recent Los Angeles fires, six of the top ten most destructive fires, three of the five deadliest fires, and all of the state's nine largest fires have occurred since 2017. It is unsustainable for both California and the country to continue burning at this magnitude. This leaves us with the question: "What can be done to solve the wildfire problem?" In response to this growing crisis, lawmakers are taking action. Congress is advancing different versions of the Fix Our Forests Act ( FOFA ) in the Senate and House of Representatives. How these bills progress and the opportunities to amend, change or improve these bills are constrained by the different processes in the House and the Senate. The House of Representatives The House of Representatives version of FOFA, (H.R. 471) , was introduced by Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR) in January 2025 with 43 bipartisan cosponsors, including several from California. With a stated goal to expedite forest management activities under NEPA. H.R. 471, it significantly reflects Executive Order 14225, "Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production" (March 1, 2025). While the legislation takes some important steps, there are also significant concerns regarding rollbacks of environmental protections and judicial review. FOFA , H.R. 471, establishes an interagency Fireshed Center overseen by the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service comprised of 15 agencies, administrations, departments and bureaus to gather data, provide guidance and work with states and tribes. It sets up a process to designate “fireshed management areas” and expands projects exempt from full reviews from 3,000 – 10,000 acres. The bill heavily favors logging as a form of fire management, but also embraces prescribed burns and prioritizes reforestation and restoration projects. H.R. 471 grants numerous “categorical exclusions”, exempting areas and projects from review under the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act. H.R. 471 also fast-tracks environmental review and consultation. At the same time, the Administration is significantly gutting personnel and expertise through DOGE and its budget. H.R. 471 alters the judicial process. H.R. 471 limits when a court can grant injunctive relief. What is injunctive relief? That is the ability of the court to say: “Stop doing what you are doing.” Or slow it down, or change it, while we figure this out. It is common. Removing it is unusual. H.R. 471 limits the court’s ability to order corrective actions, limits plaintiff’s ability to sue, limits the court’s ability to require additional data from an agency and allows the challenged activities to go forward while under review. H.R. 471 also decreases the statute of limitations (the time that someone has to sue) from 6 years to 120 days. Much concern was expressed over the expansion of categorical exclusions, the change in judicial review procedures and timelines and fast-tracking of proposals. However, there was no opportunity to address any of these issues. When a bill is introduced in the House of Representatives, much like in the Senate, it is assigned to a committee with subject matter expertise. Committees study bills, hold hearings and gather testimony from experts. Committees hold mark-up sessions to debate and make changes to the bill through amendments. When a House of Representatives Committee passes a bill, it sends the bill to the House Rules Committee. The House Rules committee determines the form of the bill, which amendments will be allowed, how long folks will have to speak, or not, and when the bill moves. The House Rules Committee is run by the party in power, by the majority party. The Rules Committee is heavily tilted to favor the majority party, giving it full control over the floor of the House or Representatives. The Rules Committee has nine members of the majority party, Republicans, and 4 members of the minority party, Democrats. There is no comparable Committee in the Senate. No committee hearings or mark-ups were held on H.R. 471. Only three amendments and only one hour of debate were allowed. In the House of Representatives, a simple majority vote is necessary for bill passage. In January 2025, the H.R. 471 passed the House of Representatives on a vote of 279-141 without a hearing or mark-up and with scant debate. In the Senate Now, attention has turned to the Senate, where Senators Curtis (R-UT), Hickenlooper (D-CO), Sheehy (R-MT) and Padilla’s (D-CA) version of FOFA , S. 1462 , introduced in April, is making its way through the Senate process. The bill’s stated goal is to improve forest management on BLM and USFS lands. Similar to the House of Representatives, when a bill is introduced in the Senate, it is assigned to a committee for study, hearings, expert testimony, a mark-up session and amendments. In fact, the Senate Agriculture Committee has already begun reviewing the legislation, holding a legislative hearing on S. March 6 . The next step will be a mark-up in committee, where we can expect to see robust debate. If the Committee decides to move forward with the bill, it sends it to the full Senate. If a committee does not send the bill to the Senate, the bill dies in committee. Once a bill is released from committee, the Majority Leader of the Senate is responsible for deciding when to send the legislation for a vote. There is no Rules Committee. At this stage of floor consideration and debate is when there is the most significant difference in the legislative process between the House and the Senate. During floor consideration, a senator or group of senators can exercise their right to unlimited debate through a filibuster, which can keep legislation off the floor indefinitely. Once a debate is closed through cloture, the Senate can move to a final vote on the bill, which requires a simple majority of 51 votes. A bill on the Senate floor requires only 51 votes to pass after a debate has ended, but it takes 60 votes to cut off debate through a process called "cloture." If 60 Senators vote in favor of ending the debate, it will move to a final vote. Because of the razor thin margin in the Senate – 53 Rs, 45 Ds and 2 Independents – Republicans will need Democrats to vote with them to stop debate and advance FOFA to a vote. The requirement for broader consensus often means that legislation passed by the Senate has undergone more compromise. This provides an opportunity for the minority party to shape the bill that is not present in the House of Representatives. Thus, the Senate version of FOFA, S. 1462 , represents a significant improvement over the House version. It too sets up “fireshed management areas” and calls for fireshed assessments, albeit based on different criteria than the House version. A centerpiece of S. 1462 is the establishment of Wildfire Intelligence Center staffed by wildfire experts, technical leads, and indigenous leaders and governed by a Board of 16 agencies, administrations, departments and bureaus. The legislation removes historical barriers that previously prevented foresters, fire teams, and indigenous communities from implementing these preventative practices, allowing for more proactive management across all phases of wildfire prevention, response, and recovery. These centers create opportunities for multifaceted approaches throughout the entire fire management cycle, from prevention to rapid response to restoration. The Senate version also retains more authority for environmental reviews and judicial action. While the S. 1462 retains greater environmental review under NEPA and the National Historic Preservation Act, it also rolls back ESA reviews of land management plans and other environmental reviews depending on acreage. S. 1462 too limits injunctive relief, although not as significantly as the House version. S. 1462 leaves untouched other aspects of judicial review. The Senate version of FOFA has garnered bipartisan support from leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties, as well as from California Governor Gavin Newsom, California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot, and CAL Fire Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler. Next Steps for the Legislation If the Senate passes a version of FOFA that is different from the House version, which is highly likely, a conference committee will be formed with members from both the House and the Senate to reconcile the differences. After the conference committee reaches agreement on a bill, both chambers must vote again to approve the reconciled bill before it can go before the President to be signed into law. Tuleyome will continue to keep you updated on the Fix Our Forests Act s. We hope to see real-time action and solutions to improve the fire resilience of our communities and our forests and improve forest health and wildfire management. Co-Authored by Bryan Pride and Sandra Schubert
May 9, 2025
I first heard about Tuleyome when I saw an ad for its California Certified Naturalist Class. I was recently retired and looking for a way to meet others and learn more about our natural environment. I met so many motivated advocates and eager learners in the class, and some have become good friends. Tuleyome focuses on a part of California I didn't know well. After completing the course I began participating in Naturalist class field trips, K-12 school outings, events, and Silver Spur Ranch camera maintenance trips. I love to help with the Naturalist class because I know the difference it made in my life. I also like turning kids and adults on to our special corner of California and the work Tuleyome is doing to preserve it. I make small regular donations now as an extension of my support for the mission. Tuleyome’s focus on a part of Northern California that is often overlooked resonates with me. It has been championing the inland coastal range and watersheds for protection, education, and wise use for 20+ years. I also appreciate how Tuleyome works with divergent spheres of interest, inspiring collaboration instead of conflict. Those partnerships have paid off locally, with Yolo County park development and Putah and Cache Creek watershed education and volunteer events. That’s an amazing legacy!  I want Tuleyome to succeed in their mission and that means supporting stability in staff and organizational resources. I figure every little bit helps.
By Kristie Ehrhardt May 9, 2025
May 2, 2025 marked one glorious year of Federal protection for the newest addition to the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument - Molok Luyuk! Just a year ago, President Biden used the Antiquities Act to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include the mountainous ridge that runs along the eastern edge of the monument. Protecting Molok Luyuk, formally known as Walker Ridge, means that crucial wildlife migration corridors are protected and that biodiversity is safeguarded. Preserving Molok Luyuk provides an essential link between the existing monument and other protected areas for Black Bears, Mountain Lions and Tule Elk. The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation gave the name Molok Luyuk and renaming it means returning an indigenous name to the ridge. Molok Luyuk is Patwin for “Condor Ridge” and it is located in Patwin heartland. Preserving the ridge means preserving significant ceremonial sites for the Miwok, Pomo and Wappo people as well as protecting vital, historic Tribal trading routes. The entire monument and much of the surrounding area is all part of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation’s vast ancestral lands. Molok Luyuk is a geologically unique area that presents 60-100 million years of history all within less than 14,00 acres. Plate tectonics has given rise to extraordinary biodiversity and the area has been called “perhaps the most accessible location” to see the unique geology of the entire Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. “A walk across Molok Luyuk is a walk through 100 million years of history.” Together with our conservation partners, Tuleyome invites you to help us celebrate this Momentous occasion by taking a trip to visit our favorite monument. The wildflowers are amazing! -Kristie Ehrhardt ( kehrhardt@tuleyome.org ) Tuleyome Land Conservation Program Manager