Rare Mexican Two-Headed Yellow Scooping Crane

I was sitting at my nav station enjoying the piece and quiet when my trance was disturbed by a low growling sound. I recognized it immediately as the ill mannered feeding noises of the rare Mexican two-headed scooping crane. These are bottom feeders dredging up sediment in shallow waters. They have a large yellow articulated arm at each narrow end of their rectangular body with which they do their scooping. They have four column-like feet which they can drive into the soft bottom to hold themselves in place for liesurely feeding. They strain the water out and deposit their food in a large crop in the center of their body. Once this gizzard is filled, the crane will remove itself to deeper water where its waste is eliminated through a trap door.

In this clip we see the crane using its larger arm for feeding.

Sailors count themselves especially blessed to spot these in a marina since we know that the bottom will be kept to a depth equal to the reach of the crane's arms. In mature cranes this can gaurantee a depth of 12 to 15 feet.

The arms are also used for propulsion in a sort of skulling motion. Given this slow locomotion, it is believed that the cranes are non-migratory.

In this clip we see the crane using its smaller arm as a sweep. It is also used to aid the digestive process by moving the stored food to assure full and balanced loading.

With its lunch over, the crane removed to a spot near the shore perhaps to digest its heavy meal. One of its hatchlings may be seen nestling againt the shore. All in all an ungainly bit of wildlife.