Two-Day Old Sandhill Crane Chicks: Devils or Angels?
On Monday past Bob Eastman and I were blessed to find a pair of two-day old crane chicks along the shoreline near my home in Indian Lake Estates, FL. For more than 30 minutes, the tiny siblings tried to kill each other. Watch the video to learn why the photography was so difficult and check out artie’s 17 favorites fight shots from the more than 1500 images. Scroll down and keep reading to learn about siblicide and to see the angelic side of the tiny chicks.
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If you will be at PhotoCon KC on Friday and would like to do some bird photography with me on Friday afternoon or Saturday, please see me after my program.
PhotoCon KC
PhotoCon is coming to Kansas City for the very first time. And bringing the Midwest’s biggest photography and imaging event with us. The Overland Park Convention Center will transform into a massive interactive trade show floor, buzzing with creativity, education, and community. This isn’t just another conference. It’s a hands-on experience designed to fuel photographers, filmmakers, and content creators of every level. Whether you’re here to test-drive the newest gear, sharpen your skills, or connect with people who share your passion, PhotoCon KC is your place. Learn more here.
Free Event Passes!
If you live in or near Kansas City, KS and would like a free pass to this great event, simply shoot me an e-mail with PhotoCon KC as the Subject Line and I will be glad to have a pass sent to the first ten folks who get in touch. I am really looking forward to seeing Steve Sanders’ Saturday Keynote A Day In The Life! NFL Photographer (4:00 PM – 6:00 PM in Courtyards 4 – 7).
Steve Sanders is the Director of Photography for the Kansas City Chiefs Football Club. With over 30 years of covering the Chiefs, and the last 16 in a full-time roll, he has continued to evolve and excel with the changes in the photography industry. Before landing the full-time role with the team, his diverse portfolio included weddings, portraits, events, commercial advertising, architecture, and food photography. This experience enabled him to bring a wealth of knowledge to every Chiefs project. By fostering strong relationships with the team and players, Steve has earned trust both on and off the field, which allows him to capture exceptional images and achieve career milestones.
The Fortunate Bird Photographer
The Blessed Bird Photographer
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM in Courtyard 3
After 42 years of bird photography — heck, I started late, I am, thanks to mirrorless autofocus technology, photographing more and enjoying it more than ever before as I approach age 80. Join me as I share the illustrated story of a life filled with countless incredible blessings. All bird photographers have benefited from the amazing technological advances made over the past decade — none more so than I!
What’s Up?
The day after our Barred Owl miracle (photos soon), Bob and I once headed home on Monday for breakfast totally giddy over our success. After getting some great stuff on the young Bald Eagles, finding the two crane chicks, watching them fight for more than a half hour, and then photographing them at point blank range resting peacefully on the edge of the lake left us thrilled. Tuesday morning was just OK.
Today is Wednesday 18 March 2026. As I have a ton to do today getting ready for my flight to Kansas City tomorrow, my trip down to the lake will be a short one. Jim will be dropping me at the airport a bit before 11am tomorrow. And I have not even started packing yet! My slide program is 99% complete. Whatever you opt to do I hope that you too choose to have fun and enjoy life. Please remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com After our morning session, I will continue to work hard on my slide program for PhotoCon KC (details below).
If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
IPT Updates
I was thrilled to learn that multiple Homer IPT veteran Chris Loffredo will be joining the second 2027 San Diego IPT and that long-ago IPT veteran Jon Sostarich and multiple IPT veteran Mike De Rosa will be attending the first 2027 Homer IPT and both songbird days. See the complete details here.
San Diego IPT #1: 4 1/2 DAYS: WED 6 JAN thru the morning session on SUN 10 JAN 2027: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 5 photographers.
San Diego IPT #2: 4 1/2 DAYS: TUES 19 JAN thru the morning session on SAT 23 JAN 2027: $2699.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 4.
Anchor Point Songbird Days: WED 10 FEB & TUES 11 FEB 2027. Full day: $500/day.
Homer IPT #1: FRI 12 FEB 2027 through the full day on TUES 16 FEB 2027. Five days/20 hours on the boat: $5900.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2
Homer IPT #2: WED 17 FEB 2027 through the full day on SUN 21 FEB 2027. Five days/20 hours on the boat: $5900.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2
Dates for the three 2027 Stick Marsh IPTs will be announced here soon.
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This image was created by yours truly on 16 March 2026 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated in the front seat of my SUV (with Bob Eastman sitting behind me) I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. ISO 2000: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 8:38:50am on a variably cloudy morning. Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper and warmer high-res version. Image #1: Small Sandhill Crane chicks squabbling |
Why the Aggression?
According to AI Overview:
Tiny crane chicks, such as those of Sandhill Cranes, engage in siblicide — one sibling kills another — as a natural, instinctual method to ensure that the strongest chick survives. This aggressive behavior, often permitted by parents, happens to eliminate competition for limited food, water, and resources.
Simply put: if I kill you there will be more food for me.
Note the Mole Cricket
Note on the upper right frame-edge that one of the parent cranes is offering a Mole Cricket to the chicks. But their instinct to survive is so strong that rather than grab the morsel, each chick was intent on inflicting damage on its sibling.
The Discovery
Bob and I have been watching a pair of cranes at a nest south of the pier for a month. Each morning, we would see one of the adults foraging along the shoreline or on the South Peninsula. Although we did not always spot it — the nest was well hidden, we knew that the other parent was sitting on the eggs.
After photographing the eagle family, we were headed to the south end of the South Peninsula to check on the two small chick family. When I saw two adult cranes feeding on the edge of the marsh, I said to Bob, “I’ll bet you they have two small chicks with them.” They did.
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This image was created by yours truly on 16 March 2026 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on wet sand and grass and working off the titled rear monitor, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 420mm) with the Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 1000: 1/1000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:41:28am on a then-cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper and warmer high-res version. Image #2: Sandhill Crane 2-day old chick in marsh |
After the Battle
After a half hour of nonstop fighting, the chicks returned to grabbing food from the adults, mostly mole crickets. After that, the two chicks waded into the marsh and rested.
As I have known and worked with this pair for years, I felt that we would be fine getting out of my SUV and getting down low. In the relatively low light, I grabbed my 300mm f/2.8 GM lens with the 1.4X TC in place so that I could work at f/4. Bob of course went with his trusty 200-600.
I was glad that I had my reading glasses in my pocket so that I could see the AF points on the vertically tilted rear monitor. Rather than putting the lens on my toes, I held it about 15 inches off the ground in order to shoot of the foreground grasses. I love the head on view of the chick’s wing stubs in this photo.
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This image was also created by yours truly on 16 March 2026 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on wet sand and grass and working off the titled rear monitor, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 420mm) with the Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 1000: 1/1000 sec. at f/4.5 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:43:19 am on a then-cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper and warmer high-res version. Image #3: Sandhill Crane 2-day old chick in marsh |
Your Call?
Which of today’s three featured images is your favorite? Why did you make your choice?
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On Softening Cluttered Backgrounds
Most obviously I warmed up the image, executed a small crop from the bottom left corner, eliminated the single grass that overlapped the face of the bird on our right, and used the Remove Tool to remove several distractingly bright blades of grass. To soften the background (something that I previously thought was impossible), I first created an ACR mask of the subject. Next, I inverted the mask to select the background. Then, I moved the Clarity Slider well to the left and the Dehaze slider a smidge to the left. As you can see in the animated GIF above, the results were quite amazing.
Learn about ACR Masking in the Digital Basics IV Video Series.
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Composite #1: All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body.
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The a-1 ii for General Bird Photography
I have found that eye-tracking for general bird photography with the a-1 ii is far, far better than with the original Sony a-1. It grabs the eye and tracks it faster and far more consistently and focus is rarely lost, even with backgrounds other than sky.
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Composite #2: All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body.
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The a-1 ii for Birds in Flight
For birds in flight, the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body has no equal. As Arash Hazeghi says, “It is better than the a-1.” When I am late getting on a bird in flight, I have consistently been amazed at how often the AF system of the a-1 ii finds and tracks the bird’s eye.
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Composite #3: All the result of using Pre-Capture with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body.
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Pre-Capture with the Sony a-1 ii
When it comes to Pre-Capture with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body, Arash and I agree 100%. And with my slower reflexes, Pre-Capture is more important for me than it is for Arash. Understand that in each of the images in Composite #3, I did not push the shutter button until after the bird took flight!
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All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body.
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Purchasing or Upgrading to a Sony a-1 ii
The Sony a-1 ii e-Mail Set-up and Info Guide
I now own and use two Sony a-1 ii bodies. Every day that I use them, the more I am amazed by speed and accuracy of the Bird Face-Eye tracking in AF-C and the overall performance of the camera.
Aside from the improved ergonomics as compared to the a-1, other nice features include the fact that the rear screen tilts both ways — the lack of a tilting rear screen on the original a-1 always ticked me off. Pre-capture has proven to be a huge plus almost exclusively for take-off flight images. In my opinion, the Speed Boost feature is a total waste for bird photography because you should always be utilizing the maximum frame rate. In addition, the resolution on the rear monitor has been improved dramatically. I must mention again that Bird Face-Eye tracking on the a-1 ii is vastly improved as compared to both the a-1 and the a9 iii and that the 51MP files are to die for.
So, the big question is, is the a-1 ii “worth” a gear upgrade. Remembering that I can never know whether or not something is worth it to you, I can say that I was not floored when first using my a-1 ii. The differences between the a-1 ii and the original a-1, seemed to be neither huge nor eye-opening. But over time, I have come to realize that I was 100% wrong. The huge difference between the new camera body and the a9 iii is, of course, the 51MP a-1 raw files (as compared to the 24MP files rendered by the a9 iii).
The price of a new a-1 is $5,898.00. The price of a new a-1 ii is $1,100.00 more: $6,998.00. As the a-1 ii is clearly far superior for bird photography to the original a-1, the choice for folks new to Sony or for those upgrading from lesser Sony camera bodies is an easy one. Prices for used a-1 bodies has not dropped drastically as I anticipated. At this point, a-1 folks who like showing flight and action and can afford an a-1 ii, are advised to purchase an a-1 ii. Please remember that life is short; we only get one ride on the merry-go-round.
If you do purchase an a-1 ii, be sure to use one of my two affiliate links so that you will receive my a-1 ii settings (in the form of a CAMSEa1ii.DAT file), the Buttons and Dials Guide, and an Info Sheet for free. Using my links will never cost you one penny and may actually save you some money. Folks who do not purchase their new a-i using my B&H link or from Bedfords here and entering the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout will be able to purchase the a-1 ii guide for $244.93. If you are at all confused and do not want to screw up your order, please get in touch via e-mail. If you would like to chat about upgrading, shoot me a text to 863-221-2372 and LMK a good time to call you.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
I knew about siblicide but had no idea it would be present in two day old chicks. Thanks for the video.
Thanks Pat and you are welcome. I once saw a newborn crane at the nest resting on its mom’s back. I wriggled off and the adult stood up. There was a wet, just hatched chick in the nest alongside its cracked eggshell. I was focusing and adjust the exposure and was sure I was gonna be famous. In an instant, before I made a single image, the older chick attacked the just hatched chick and drove it out of the nest!
Siblicide starts very early.
with love, artie