Sandhill crane spotted at Wascana Lake, wildlife experts suspect injuries

Peter Kirychuk spotted a sandhill crane during his daily walk around Wascana. (Photo courtesy: Peter Kirychuk)

Most birds have started their migration south as winter is right around the corner, but a Regina man recently spotted an odd sight, an outlier bird just south of the Broad Street bridge.

Peter Kirychuk was taking his daily five kilometre walk around Wascana Lake when he noticed a different type of beak among the usual birds, which turned out to be a sandhill crane.

“They’re different than a Canada Goose, they have long legs, and they have a long neck and they’re bigger,” he said.

The three-and half-foot tall bird, which Kirychuk spotted amongst a gaggle of Canadian Geese, was seemingly left behind after its flock flew south for the winter. Kirychuk recalls last seeing a sandhill crane about 20 years ago.

“That was the first time and the last time I saw one,” he said. “But I usually walk around while I scan a lake every morning, and I’ve been looking for them, but I haven’t seen them until this time.”

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It turns out that this was not a new headline for wildlife rescuers, as this crane was under a bird’s eye view this past summer and is only able to fly when trying to escape.

“We did have volunteers out earlier in the spring to take a look,” said Bonnie Dell, the executive director of the Wildlife Rescue Society of Saskatchewan. “When we were first getting reports, they went out to try to catch the bird, and it flew just enough to go above their heads and evade capture.”

Although the bird doesn’t have visible injuries, Dell is hesitant that the crane would be able to survive the winter, especially with the species being a vulnerable prey in the food chain.

As she puts it, this crane could be an example of waterfowl being stuck in a grounded state that goes back several months ago.

“They have a wing injury that prevents them from flying, and they spend the whole summer on the ground very happily,” she said. “Then fall comes and their flock flies off and they’re left behind. That’s just nature.”

As winter approaches, Kirychuk will continue to keep an eagle eye on the wings at Wascana to see if his feathered friend is able to fly away before the snow arrives.