Cranes Flying. Photo by Steve Nesbitt

Sandhill Crane Pair. Photo by Steve Nesbitt

Secrets of the Sandhills: Life History of the Florida Sandhill Crane, with Steve Nesbitt

Socializing: 6:45 p.m.

Meeting starts: 7 p.m.

Program starts: 7:15 p.m.

The Comb. Photo by Steve Nesbitt.

About the presentation: Florida can justifiably boast of its many spectacular birds. High on that list is the Florida Sandhill Crane. They occur almost statewide and are not shy about showing off. But how much do we really know about them? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had been studying cranes first in the late 1960s. Some of their secrets have been discovered. After 35 years of working with dozens of known individual Florida Sandhill Cranes, Steve Nesbitt, a retired biologist formerly with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, will discuss some of what’s been learned. How can you tell an old crane from a young crane? How can you tell a male from a female? Do cranes really pair for life? What is the typical home range for a pair of Florida Sandhill Cranes? What does it take for a pair to successfully raise a chick to the age of independence? How long can a Florida crane live? How have Florida Sandhill Cranes helped in the recovery of the Whooping Crane? What does the future for cranes in Florida look like? These are some of the topics that will be discussed.

About the speaker: Steve Nesbitt grew up in Virginia outside of Washington DC. For most of his adult life he has worked in nature. From the summer of 1963 through the summer of 1969, he worked as a “summer student” on various National Wildlife Refuges throughout the country. Then for 35 years he worked in Florida for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. While with the commission he worked on a variety of birds: Sandhill Cranes, Whooping Cranes, Brown Pelicans, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, and Bald Eagles. He has published over 200 articles on what he found most interesting and noteworthy.