The answer is sort of neither. Pratensis is solely a florida subspecies
(not sure if it makes it to the Okefenokee now or in the past. Pulla is a
bird solely of coastal longleaf pine savannah which did not extend further
west than maybe Gulfport Mississippi due to the intrusion of the
Mississippi delta.
Birds in Louisiana andor texas (if any or regular) were likely an isolated
population like white pelicans and whooping cranes. It is surmised that the
two subspecies and the Cuban birds are the relict ice age crane stock that
diverged by staying put when the greater sandhill cranes started migrating
again as the ice retreated. Completely separate from the lesser sandhills
so common in west and central texas.
Oberholser and Lowery only refer to a couple of records each for texas and
Louisiana back in the 1800's. A pair in La showed up and stayed for several
years. Lowery surmised that what is now pulla extended to the area of LA
north of lake ponchartrain but had no records of such and indicated a large
gap between there and eastern Mississippi in anything like modern times.
On Thu, Jul 27, 2017 at 11:37 AM, Robert Reeves <birder.reeves@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Were the birds formerly found in TX, LA, AL, and the FL panhandle pulla or
pratensis?
On Wed, Jul 26, 2017 at 6:45 PM Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
The Mississippi cranes are not pratensis but pulla, an isolated
subspecies that lived right along where I-10 goes through the prime
habitat. It is considered endangered and there is only a small number.
Considered to be a relict population of greater sandhills rather than
lesser sandhills and possibly an ice age relict living in long-leaf pine
fire open country. The population has increased to about 25 pairs and some
of them are artificially inseminated from frozen sperm. Found on
Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge.
On Wed, Jul 26, 2017 at 5:31 PM, Robert Reeves <birder.reeves@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
The Florida subspecies (pratensis) is resident in the FL peninsula to s.
GA (Okefenokee). Formerly found in coastal TX, LA, MS, and AL. A friend in
Winter Garden, FL posts photos of it as a yard bird.
Robert Reeves
Pflugerville
On Wed, Jul 26, 2017 at 4:00 PM Joseph Kennedy <
josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The big population of gulf coast sandhill cranes is in Mississippi
north of
Pascagoula. Very limited in area and not a whole lot of spreading unlike
the Midwestern birds which are starting to infest places like Iowa. They
have learned to like cornfields so they may do very well there. Not bad
starting from zero. Again going from zero there are more than 1,000 bald
eagle nests in every county and the Mississippi kite numbers have
started
to improve from just a couple.
On Wed, Jul 26, 2017 at 12:27 PM, David Sarkozi <david@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I think its hard to eliminate a hunter wounded bird as the source of ajustin.bosler@xxxxxxxxx>
summer record of a game species. Most all ducks have summer records in
Texas
On Wed, Jul 26, 2017 at 12:12 PM, Justin Bosler <
wrote:Lesser
Hello all,
I stand corrected. There have been a handful of July records of
eBird forSandhill Crane (nominate). However, there's only one record in
largethe state. As one would expect, the injured or ill birds (withmycotoxin),
in early spring, usually don't make it into the summer.wrote:
Bird on!
Justin Bosler
currently in Rankin, TX
On Jul 26, 2017 8:59 AM, "Justin Bosler" <justin.bosler@xxxxxxxxx>
Hello all,
It must be Christmas in July!
Much to my surprise, I discovered an adult Sandhill Crane at the
Black-throatedMonday,playa on CR 20 between CR Y and X just east of Tahoka (Lynn Co.) on
first24 July. This is likely the first July record for Texas and perhaps
documented summer season record. I also had Chipping and
July, ISwallowsSparrows in the area and my first Northern Rough-winged and Tree
of the "fall."
Equally as unseasonal as the crane is a female Common Merganser at
Higinbotham Park in Lubbock (Lubbock Co.). First reported on 21
orfollowed up on the report last night and located it along the lake
shoreline. I'm unaware of it being reported earlier in the summer
springincapable
but I suspect it's been there for some time. It appears to be
ofissue
flight due to active flight feather molt or other flight feather
duepermission
permissionto parasites or malnutrition.
Good birding,
Justin Bosler
currently in Midland, TX
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