This page contains 75 images of Sandhill Cranes in flight over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge,
including scenic images and flight closeups taken at dawn, sunrise, mid-day, late afternoon and sunset.
Takeoff wing positions, flight studies, formation flight, and head-on shots are all displayed on this page.

Click an image to open a larger version.
Use your back button to return to this page.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sandhill Crane Morning Flight HS0732

A Sandhill Crane in flight from the Main Pond at Bosque del Apache on a sub-zero January morning.
If you look closely, you can see a ring of ice still attached to its leg after it broke out of the frozen pond.

Sandhill Cranes

Named for the sand hills of the Platte River area where most North American migratory
individuals gather to rest before heading to their breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska,
the Sandhill Cranes are the oldest known birds still in existence (a fossil skeleton identical in
structure to the modern Sandhill Crane was found in Nebraska and was dated to 10 million
years). This fossil is most likely from a direct ancestor to the Sandhill Crane. The oldest
fossil that is without doubt from a Sandhill Crane was dated to 2.5 million years ago,
which is 1.5 times older than the earliest remains from most living bird species.

Sandhill Cranes are large birds, 3.5 to 4.5 feet tall, with red facial skin, forehead and
crown, and gray feathers into which they sometimes preen iron-rich mud, turning them
a reddish-brown color. They are the most abundant of cranes, with a wide distribution in
North America, Cuba and Northeastern Siberia. Three migratory sub-species winter in the
southern US and northern Mexico, and three non-migratory sub-species live in Mississippi,
Cuba and Florida. The migratory species breed in the northern US, Canada and Siberia.

As many as 14,000 Sandhill Cranes winter at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge,
feeding on the corn and alfalfa planted in the farm fields specifically for the birds.

Sandhill Crane Dawn Takeoff 3393

Two Sandhill Cranes take off for the farm fields on a thinly overcast day at dawn.

Sandhill Juvenile Mauve Takeoff 3360

A juvenile Sandhill Crane takes off for the farm fields on another thinly overcast day at dawn.
On days with a thin overcast, the diffused light of sunrise creates a mauve to orange color on water.

Sandhill Crane Morning Fly-by 6258

Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-by 3091

Two close fly-by shots, the first taken at sunrise in February, and the second at sunset in December.
Note the superb aerodynamic shape of the Sandhill Crane in the low-speed morning fly-by on the left.

Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-by 3097 16x9

A 1600 x 900 image of a Sandhill Crane in a close fly-by past the Flight Deck at sunset.

Sandhill at Sunrise HS6250

A very close fly-by of a Sandhill Crane heading towards the farm fields at sunrise in December.
Note the smooth airfoil formed by the closely-interlocked, overlapping coverts and secondary feathers.

Sandhill Crane Takeoff X9356

A Sandhill Crane takes flight just after sunrise on a December morning at Bosque del Apache, New Mexico.

Sandhill Crane Morning Takeoff 4792

A close portrait of a Sandhill Crane taking off at sunrise from the Crane Pool at Bosque del Apache.

The Cranes gather in ponds overnight for safety from predators, such as coyotes. They fly out from the
ponds at sunrise into the nearby farm fields to eat alfalfa and corn which is grown for the wintering birds.

Juvenile Sandhill Takeoff 5737 M

A yearling Juvenile Sandhill Crane takes off at sunrise. Juveniles have a reddish to golden brown
head and neck, and lack the characteristic red skin on the forehead and crown of the adult crane.

All of the landscape (horizontal) large version images linked from the thumbnails are 1500 pixels wide.
Portrait (vertical) images are 1200 pixels tall (1290 pixels with title bar). Images designated with an “M”
in the shot number are 5:4 aspect ratio, 1500 x 1290 with a title bar, or 1500 x 1200 without a title bar.

Sandhill Crane Takeoff 5683

A Sandhill Crane flight portrait taken during the five minute period after sunrise in golden light.

Light like this can be elusive... it requires clouds over the eastern horizon to reflect the light, but the
clouds must be high enough to avoid blocking the sun when it rises to the height which yields this light.

Sandhill Crane Takeoff Flight Study 5682-83 LG

A 2000 x 759 flight study composite, just after takeoff on a cold December morning in golden light.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sandhill Crane Flyout X9438 M

A Sandhill Crane flies out to the farm fields, isolated against a background of Cranes and Snow Geese.

Sandhill Crane Flyout X8869

A slightly oblique frontal shot taken as a Sandhill Crane leaves the Crane Pool on a December morning.

Sandhill Crane Flyout X8929

A side profile shot taken as a Sandhill Crane leaves the Crane Pool on a December morning.

Sandhill Crane Takeoff 5816 M

A Sandhill Crane leaves the Crane Pool at Bosque del Apache for its flight to the farm fields.

Sandhill Crane Takeoff 4615

A Sandhill Crane displays a superb wing position in the first full beat after takeoff from the Crane Pool.

Note how the tips of the primary feathers bend upward from the air pressure at full forward extension.
This shot had to be slightly underexposed to avoid overexposure of the Snow Geese in the background.

Sandhill Takeoff 4715

A Sandhill Crane halfway through the upward wing flap, with wings bent at the elbow to reduce drag.

Sandhill Takeoff 4718 M

A Sandhill Crane at full upward extension, showing the full panoply of underwing coverts,
the Secondary feathers at the rear of the wing, and the Primary feathers at the wingtips.

Sandhill Cranes Morning Flight 1819

A group of rugged individualists take off downwind and head south from the Crane Pool. Almost all of the
landings and takeoffs are into the prevailing wind from the north, but some birds follow a different drummer.

Sandhill Cranes Morning Flight 1821 M

Detail of the leaders of this unconventional group of cranes, taken 45 minutes after sunrise in December.

Sandhill Cranes Takeoff 5791 M

Two Sandhill Cranes fly from the Crane Pool in a beautifully synchronized formation.

Once you have taken a large number of Sandhill Crane images, you begin to attempt to
capture something special, such as a difficult timing shot with synchronized wing positions.
Any takeoff offers a challenging set of technical problems if your goal is to get portfolio-grade
images... here the goal was also to capture synchronized full forward extension of the wings.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sandhill Takeoff 4726

Two Sandhill Cranes fly over the Crane Pool on a mid-December morning on their way to the farm fields.

Sandhill Crane Morning Flyout HS0724

A Sandhill Crane displays an exquisite wing position as he flies out to the farm fields in January.

Sandhill Crane Morning Flyout HS0729

A Sandhill Crane is isolated against a background of his defocused fellows as
he flies out to the farm fields at Bosque del Apache on a cold January morning.

Sandhill Cranes Morning Flight 4742

Sandhill Cranes Formation Flight 4198

Sandhill Cranes in formation flight against backgrounds of dry grasses and a blue December sky.

Sandhill Cranes Formation 5429

A distant flock of Sandhill Cranes in a migration formation early in the morning in late February.

Sandhill Crane Flight X8944

A close flight portrait taken against a blue morning sky in late December.

Sandhill Crane Flight HS6295

Sandhill Crane Flight HS6296

Two flight portraits taken at near full extension on the downward beat and 2/3 extension on the upward beat.
These two flight portraits are composited in the Sandhill Crane Flight Study image which is shown below.

Sandhill Crane Flight Study HS6295-96 M

A two image overlay composite of a Sandhill Crane in a brilliant blue sky on a cold December morning.

There is a 3:2 aspect ratio XL version of this flight study composite available (3000 x 2000 pixels).

Sandhill Cranes Flight to the Fields X8837

Two Sandhill Cranes head out to the farm fields at Bosque del Apache just after sunrise in late December.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sandhill Crane X0947

A close frontal flight portrait of a Sandhill Crane taken at eye level, just after takeoff on a February morning.

Sandhill Crane detail X0947c

The linked image is a detail crop, slightly resized down from the master image to show facial detail.

Sandhill Crane Head-on 2636 M

A Sandhill Crane leaves its frozen fellows on the Crane Pool after sunrise on a cold morning in late December.
Unlike his colleagues who took off into the wind towards the north (the direction the other cranes are facing), he
decided to head due east, and flew directly at me, giving me a rare opportunity for some head-on flight shots.

Sandhill Crane Head-on 2637

Sandhill Crane Head-on 2638

In the midst of his next wing beat, he saw the long black lens on the camera and changed direction
in the second between shots. It is difficult to discern expression on a crane’s face, but I would swear
his eyes opened wider than normal and he took on a worried look. It could have been my imagination.

Sandhill Crane Head-on 2640

A Sandhill Crane flies directly towards the camera, watching the lens carefully as he passes overhead.

Sandhill Crane Head-on X8865

A Sandhill Crane leaves the Crane Pool on a December morning and flies
directly towards the photographer, offering a rare opportunity for a head-on shot.

Quality head-on shots are extremely difficult to capture due to the fast closing speeds.
Birds can almost instantly fly through the shallow depth of field of a long telephoto lens,
and it can be difficult to gain a focus lock in the first place due to the low contrast of the
feathers around the head. It is generally best to focus on the wing root, where shadows
can offer a higher contrast, and this must be done quickly due to the fast closing speed.

Sandhill Crane Flight X8941

Sandhill Crane Head-on 1851

Sandhill Crane flight portraits in a steep oblique and a head-on encounter, taken on
two different mornings in December against a blue sky and a dry grass background.

Head-on shot opportunities do not present themselves all that often, as birds are usually flying
into the wind and photographers generally set up at a 90 degree angle to the typical flight path.
Setting up directly in the flight path would require standing in the ice cold waters of the marsh.

Even when you do get a chance at a head-on shot, they are often not of a very high quality
because the high closing speed of the bird either made it impossible to gain a focus lock,
or the bird flew through the very shallow depth of field of a long telephoto lens too quickly.

After missing a number of shots like this, frustration mounts and you plan your actions
carefully so you can rapidly perform the camera setup, focus and fire, all in an instant.
Even with very careful planning, portfolio-grade head-on shots of the fast-moving
Sandhill Crane in flight can be elusive. It is quite pleasing when you succeed.

Sandhill Crane Head-on X8758

A Sandhill Crane in a rapid head-on approach. This crane
seemed to be a little freaked out by the long telephoto lens.

Sandhill Crane Head-on X8759 M

Sandhill Crane Head-on X8760

As he flew overhead, the crane’s eyes bugged out and he squawked and screamed at me.
A 1500 x 1290 detail crop of the screaming crane in this head-on approach is shown below.

Sandhill Crane Head-on detail X8760c M

A Sandhill Crane screaming during a head-on approach, cropped and resized down from the master image.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sandhill Crane Flight X8952

A Sandhill Crane in flight after leaving the Crane Pool in the morning on its way out to the farm fields.

Sandhill Cranes Fly-in X9118

Sandhill Crane Evening Fly-in HS6357

Sandhill Cranes flying back to the ponds from the farm fields in the early evening.

Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-by 3129 M

Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-by HS6414 M

Close flight portraits taken at sunset when the cranes are flying back to the ponds.

Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese spend the night in ponds for protection from predators.

Sandhill Crane Flight 4098

A Sandhill Crane in flight, taken against a brilliant blue December sky not long after sunrise.

Sandhill Crane Morning Flight 1784 16x9

A 1600 x 990 image of a Sandhill Crane in a close fly-by not long after sunrise in December.

Sandhill Cranes Fly-in HS6371

A group of Sandhill Cranes fly low over the dry December grass on their way in to the pond at sunset.

Sandhill Crane Sunset HS6401

Close flight portraits of Sandhills at sunset, soaring in a close fly-by and  turning in a steep bank to reduce speed for landing.

Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-in X3429 M

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sandhill Cranes Sunset Fly-in X9149

Sandhill Cranes flying in to the ponds at sunset.

Sandhill Crane Floating in at Sunset X3479

A Sandhill Crane floats in on a thermal for landing.

Sometimes, the cranes use a convenient thermal updraft to reduce their forward speed just before landing.

Sandhill Cranes Thermal Glide 6933 M

A group of Sandhill Cranes perform an elegant ballet, gliding and twisting on a thermal updraft
on their way to a landing on the Main Pond, just to the left of the Flight Deck at sunset in February.

Sandhill Crane Thermal Glide X9117

A close flight portrait of a Sandhill Crane gliding in on a thermal at sunset.

Sandhill Cranes Thermal Glide 5986

Sandhill Cranes Thermal Glide 5988

A group of Sandhill Cranes gliding in on a thermal at dusk, delicately adjusting position.
In 5986 above left, two of the cranes announce their arrival to the others waiting below.
As the cranes closed in on the pond, I concentrated on the group of four at the bottom.

Sandhill Cranes Thermal Glide 5991

Sandhill Cranes gliding in on a thermal, spreading out for a landing on the Main Pond at dusk.

Sandhill Cranes Thermal Glide at Dusk XXL

A 1600 x 1110 version of the XXL composite (4933 x 3261)
showing a group of Sandhill Cranes gliding in on a thermal at dusk.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-in 6918

A Sandhill Crane is beautifully lit at sunset in a close fly-by past the Flight Deck on its way to the Main Pond.

Sandhill Crane Sunset Flight 6968

Another close fly-by at sunset, taken from the Flight Deck at Bosque del Apache in February.

Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-by HS6426

Sandhill Crane Sunset Fly-by HS6432

Sandhill Cranes flying in to the Main Pond just after sunset, looking for a good place to spend the night.

Sandhill Cranes Sunset Fly-in 6999

A pair of Sandhill Cranes fly over a group of Snow Geese and Cranes in the Main Pond at sunset.

Sandhill Cranes Sunset Glide X4060

Two Sandhill Cranes are lit by the last low-angle rays of the sun during a high-speed glide past the Flight Deck.

Sandhill Crane Dusk Fly-by 5481

A fast-moving Sandhill Crane in a fly-by past the Flight Deck over the Main Pond at Bosque del Apache.

To get this extremely difficult dusk fly-by shot, taken at 1/80 second at f/4 with a 500mm lens, you must
pan horizontally at the exact same speed as the bird while keeping the head in focus. 1/80 second is a
very long time for a 500mm lens. Achieving a sharp image of a moving target is an extreme challenge.

Sandhills Dusk Fly-in 5429

Two cranes in a difficult fly-by shot at dusk, taken at 1/125 second at 500mm during a high-speed glide in low light.

Sandhill Sunset Fly-by 5353

A close flight portrait taken as a Sandhill Crane blasts by the Flight Deck at Bosque del Apache at last light after sunset.

Sandhill Dusk Fly-in 5352

A close flight portrait taken as a Sandhill Crane rockets past the Flight Deck in the waning light after sunset.

Shots like these are extremely challenging. A wide aperture must be used to gather as much light as possible.
The wide aperture (f/4) reduces depth of the focused field significantly, so you have to carefully maintain focus
on the head while panning at exactly the same speed as the fast-moving crane, all while composing the shot.

Sandhill Sunset Fly-by 5363

An extremely close flight portrait taken as a crane blazes past me at about 20 feet from my 500mm lens.
Getting a portfolio-grade image required the use of every trick in the book. This crane was really moving.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Sandhill Cranes Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Sandhill Cranes Collection

Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Takeoffs page

Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Takeoff Sequences page

Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Landings page

Click the Display Composite above to visit the Sandhill Cranes: Scenics and Assorted Images page

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