Charles, I'm far from an expert on cranes, much less crane genetics, but it is entirely possible a Hooded Crane could hybridize with Sandhills, don't think it has been recorded though. Your bird sounds like a Sandhill with pigment issues from just the description though. Hooded and Common are known to hybridize in the wild, and these are seen frequently in Japan, South Korea, and China. They are pretty obvious though of the mixed parenting, here is a hybrid of this pairing I photographed in China: http://www.pbase.com/update_image/131542990 Good Birding!! Mike Todd McKenzie, TN birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx www.pbase.com/mctodd -------------------------------------------- On Fri, 1/23/15, Charles Murray <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: Unusual looking Crane at Hiwassee Refuge To: "TN-Birds Bird" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Friday, January 23, 2015, 10:08 AM Regarding my observations of the "Unusual Looking Crane at Hiwassee Refuge" that I asked Starr Klein to post to TN-Bird: I saw the crane Thursday from the viewing area at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Meigs County at Birchwood. I was told later by Bernie Sweeny, Yuchi Wildlife Refuge Manager, that he and others had seen presumably the same crane last Saturday at Hiwassee Refuge during the Sandhill Crane Festival. The color of the feathers covering the body reminded me of a chocolate Labrador retriever. The color was much darker brown than the photos of the common cranes shared by Daniel and Mike. The neck was also very dark almost to the head, which to me looked like a sandhill crane's head, but I might not have studied the head really closely. The following question is offered to persons far more expert than I am in "crane genetics". Is there the remotest possibility that a hooded crane might be able to produce a hybrid offspring with a sandhill crane? Charles MurrayBirchwood, TN On Friday, January 23, 2015 9:35 AM, Michael Todd <birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: I had that same thought, when I first saw the post as well. Common isn't much darker than Sandhill, really few of the Cranes are and the ones that are look nothing like a Sandhill. Assuming it is a pigment issue, but who knows! I photographed a few Sandhills with the big flocks of Common Cranes that winter in the Yangtze River Delta of China. The color is about the same, with of course Common having the distinctive black and white neck and face. It is certainly possible we could get a Common at Hiwassee one of these days though!! Here are a couple of photos if interested: http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/image/131542988 http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/image/131589392 (note, young Common are much more similar to Sandhills) Good Birding!! Mike Todd McKenzie, TN birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx www.pbase.com/mctodd -------------------------------------------- On Fri, 1/23/15, Daniel Estabrooks <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: Unusual looking Crane at Hiwassee Refuge To: "TN-Bird" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Friday, January 23, 2015, 7:41 AM FWIW, a few Common Cranes have turned up in flocks of Sandhills out west this year (New Mexico & Texas). Definitely something to keep an eye out for. You never know! For anyone who isn't familiar with what a Common Crane looks like, here's a link to a Flickr image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/faisca/2201901353 Daniel EstabrooksWinter Haven, FL On Thursday, January 22, 2015 12:36 PM, Starr Klein <starr.klein@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: #yiv8675127830 #yiv8675127830 -- filtered {panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;} #yiv8675127830 filtered {font-family:Calibri;panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;} #yiv8675127830 p.yiv8675127830MsoNormal, #yiv8675127830 li.yiv8675127830MsoNormal, #yiv8675127830 div.yiv8675127830MsoNormal {margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:11.0pt;} #yiv8675127830 a:link, #yiv8675127830 span.yiv8675127830MsoHyperlink {color:#0563C1;text-decoration:underline;} #yiv8675127830 a:visited, #yiv8675127830 span.yiv8675127830MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:#954F72;text-decoration:underline;} #yiv8675127830 span.yiv8675127830EmailStyle17 {color:windowtext;} #yiv8675127830 .yiv8675127830MsoChpDefault {} #yiv8675127830 filtered {margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;} #yiv8675127830 div.yiv8675127830WordSection1 {} #yiv8675127830 Charles Murray noticed an unusually dark crane among the Sandhill Cranes this morning. It isn’t the Hooded Crane. Starr Klein Chattanooga TOS Chattanooga, TN CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in this e-mail message is legally privileged and confidential, and is intended only for the use of the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, please be aware that any dissemination, distribution or copy of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify us by reply e-mail and delete this message and any attachments. Thank you. Please also advise us immediately if you or your employer does not consent to receipt of Internet e-mail for confidential messages of this kind. All information disseminated or received by associates of TDG Operations is property of The Dixie Group and its subsidiaries. =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER==================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation. 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Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ------------------------------ Assistant Moderator Andy Jones Cleveland, OH ------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Dave Worley Rosedale, VA -------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Chris O'Bryan Clemson, SC __________________________________________________________ Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ARCHIVES TN-Bird Net Archives at //www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/ MAP RESOURCES Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com _____________________________________________________________ =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER==================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation. 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Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ------------------------------ Assistant Moderator Andy Jones Cleveland, OH ------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Dave Worley Rosedale, VA -------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Chris O'Bryan Clemson, SC __________________________________________________________ Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ARCHIVES TN-Bird Net Archives at //www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/ MAP RESOURCES Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com _____________________________________________________________