Cranes: The Shining Marks in Natural History and Cultural Lore

In a March dusk, cranes flock to roost near a Great Plains river. Dawn in a New Mexico desert, and the cranes awake. Flying above a Canadian lake on a summer day, or feeding among the reeds in a wintry Texas marsh, cranes appear, then disappear — soaring spirits of wildness, birds of mystery, survivors of an ancient and perilous past. Fortunately the two North American species, the Sandhill Crane and the Whooping Crane, may still be seen throughout the continent. Their survival reminds us of the renewing power of nature and of the dedication of a few scientists with the support of a cadre of volunteer naturalists.Cranes: The Shining Marks is crafted from scientific and cultural perspectives interwoven with the author’s own observations in field and marsh. The pages are illuminated with images from nature and depictions both ancient and modern of these birds of healing, from a statue of a Cretan bird goddess to petroglyphs to the wand in the hand of a Navajo healer. The scope of this natural and cultural history will pique the interest of the seasoned naturalist as well as the curiosity of a novice birder wondering about the babbling echelon of cranes flying overhead.