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Sandhill cranes of several subspecies are found across most of the North American continent, but for many birders and nature photographers, the premier place to see them is the Bosque del Apache refuge in New Mexico. We go there every year or two in the late fall. In December 2015, this leucistic bird was present. Leucism is a loss of pigmentation (different from albinism) that is often manifest as patches of pale or white coloration. This crane was quite attractive, and reminded me of the sad whooping crane - sandhill crane hybrids that resulted from a well-intentioned but badly planned re-introduction project for whooping cranes in the 1980s. Other pictures of cranes at Bosque are here, here, and here; also, look at the Bosque del Apache page for photos from other visits. A few shots of cranes (and their offspring) in Alaska are here. |
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