Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) at Lake Ashton by Lee
Last evening we were with our friends at Lake Ashton in Winter Haven, FL and they gave us a tour of the wildlife there. This time of the year there are numerous Sandhill Crane families around. We saw several young Sandhills as we were being shown around. We took some photos and also got video of two adult Sandhill Cranes giving a duet. Thought that sounded like a good topic for this weeks Birds of the Bible.
The crane is mentioned twice in the Bible and one has to do its migration.
Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD. (Jeremiah 8:7 KJV)
The second mention of the Crane has to do with its voice.
Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me. (Isaiah 38:14 KJV)
As you will see and hear by the video I took of the two cranes doing their duet, you can hear a bit of “chatter.”
We are lucky here in Central Florida to see the Sandhill Cranes quite frequently and occasionally a Whooping Crane.
Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) by Nikhil Devasar
Around the world there are 15 crane species in the Gruidae Family of the order Gruiformes. The cranes are the Grey Crowned, Black Crowned, Demoiselle, Blue, Wattled, Siberian, Sandhill, Sarus, Brolga, White-naped, Common, Hooded, Whooping, Black-necked, and Red-crowned.
Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Cranes live on all continents except Antarctica and South America.
They are opportunistic feeders that change their diet according to the season and their own nutrient requirements. They eat a range of items from suitably sized small rodents, fish, amphibians, and insects, to grain, berries, and plants.
Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) by Nikhil Devasar
Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or “dances”. While folklore often states that cranes mate for life, recent scientific research indicates that these birds do change mates over the course of their lifetimes (Hayes 2005), which may last several decades. Cranes construct platform nests in shallow water, and typically lay two eggs at a time. Both parents help to rear the young, which remain with them until the next breeding season.
Some species and populations of cranes migrate over long distances; others do not migrate at all. Cranes are gregarious, forming large flocks where their numbers are sufficient.
See:
Birds of the Bible – Cranes
Birds of the Bible – Cranes I
Birds of the Bible – Demoiselle Crane
Wordless Birds
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Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 
Something else I find to be very fascinating is that in another article I was just now reading about cranes and it might have even been on this site that I read it I can’t remember but it said that cranes also do a broken wing ruse to lure predators away from their baby chicks in the nests. I mean hey you gotta do what you gotta do for your kids right?
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can you guys add the whooping cranes in here
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Yes, Whooping Cranes are part of the Gruidae Family.
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Thank you so much for your postings on the cranes. I recently was given a word from the Lord about cranes. I also saw and purchased a necklace that has cranes on it. It is very unique and felt it was for me. The Lord then proceeded to give me a personal word about the crane. So I am on a search as to what He is saying to me and the church at large. Blessings.
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Hi I don’t know if this will help you concerning the personal Word you had from the Lord concerning cranes but just incase I will share with you what is going on in my head concerning cranes because I believe I’ve had a personal Word from the Lord concerning cranes as well. Ok soo cranes do some kind of crouching move and crouching most definitely has something to do with martial arts and I think it’s mostly a Kung-Fu move of some kind but idk a whole lot about martial arts so it could be a move used in other forms of martial arts as well. One of the reasons I find that to be so fascinating is because I was just reading an article about cranes and what I read in that article causes me to imagine cranes as Kung-Fu masters. That article says that their leaps, jumps, body slams, and bill stabs are spectacular and effective against predators and against other cranes competing for nest territories, food sources, or mates. That article also says that when cranes have conflicts with each other they don’t usually savage one another but that in fact they are very social birds roosting in flocks and that they use body language to maintain personal distance and to establish dominance. All birds and every other creature on this earth including every single human being is a masterpiece of art work that the Lord designed. So a big part of what cranes represent is art and martial arts is art. Also on a symbolic level martial arts represent spiritual warfare and even spiritual warfare can become a form of art in your life that can be enjoyed and mastered just like how Kung-Fu can be enjoyed and mastered. I mean don’t get me wrong because it is a battle and it’s not easy but still the art of war can be enjoyed and mastered through the Lord. Hope that helps because it sure helps me.
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Yo Lee I just wanted to say that I posted a comment similar to this one on the peacock story part 2 because I felt like how could I not post a comment considering what I experienced with the Lord concerning not only that article but also you and the entire website because through that experience the Lord miraculously confirmed so much of my most recent stories that are a part of my testimony of Jesus and so I wanted to let you know that that entire miraculous confirmational experience that I had with the Lord on this website also tells me that the Lord is most definitely with you in a very powerful kind of way. so congratulations for making it as far as you have with the Lord.
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Also I shouldn’t say it like “I believe that I had a persona Word from the Lord concerning Cranes.” Because I know I’ve had a personal Word from the Lord concerning cranes and not only was it confirmed through this website and a couple other articles from a couple other websites it’s also been confirmed to me in real life so I can’t be saying it like I think I had a personal Word from the Lord concerning Cranes because I know I have.
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