上百万只沙丘鹤在美国中西部经停 壮观到令游客落泪

Sandhill Cranes Rest on Their Long Voyage

Every year in the month of March, one of the world's greatest wildlife migrations² stops in central Nebraska.

For a short time, sandhill cranes fill the state’s wide, flat fields. The land provides these long-legged, playful birds with the perfect place to rest and eat.

Last year, a record 1 million sandhill cranes stopped in the area during their northward³ migration¹. That is about 85 percent of the world’s sandhill crane population.

In recent years, more and more people have discovered the migration. Visitors crowd into river blinds – special structures that help keep the birdwatchers hidden. They look through their cameras or binoculars⁴ in wonder.

Only one other migration on Earth is as concentrated and wondrous⁵, local scientists say. That is the wildebeest migration in Africa.

Getting close to the cranes

One cold morning in the middle of March, travelers gathered before 6 in the morning at Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary⁶ here. They walked carefully down a dark path. As the group got closer to the river blind, they began to hear the birds’ sounds, or calls.

Naseem Munshi traveled to Nebraska from her home in Colorado to see the cranes. She described the sound the birds make as “such a moving, ancient sound.” She added, “If I could just live and breathe that sound, I would be a very happy person.”

Munshi and the tens of thousands of other visitors help support the local economy. Last year, people from more than 60 countries came to see the migration.

The cranes -- among the oldest-known bird species -- are worth the trip.

Sandhill cranes are generally a little over a meter tall. They have long legs, necks and beaks⁷. Their wings stretch over two meters.

Sandhill cranes have soft, grey feathers. They are known for having a bright red area on the top of their heads. They are also known for their playful movements. Some call it the cranes’ “dance.”

The birds stop in Nebraska as they make their way from their winter homes in Mexico and parts of the southern United States. The birds usually spend two to three weeks at this place.

They arrive in waves, at times as many as 400,000 in one day. They eat in the nearby cornfields and grass lands. Leftover⁸ grain, insects and small creatures give them the energy they need as they continue their trip north, toward Canada and Siberia.

The cranes appear to float gently through the air. They do not follow any special flying pattern, unlike the ducks and geese that also fill the skies here.

Chris Helzer is science director of the Nature Conservancy in Nebraska. The center gives tours to see the cranes for its members and donors⁹. He describes the way the cranes come down to land as a “dandelion seed falling gently.”

For visitors, the most memorable¹⁰ part of their trip happens at sunrise. They gather in the blinds and quietly wait.

As light comes to the river, the birds begin throwing weeds and sticks in the air. They hop¹¹, bow to each other and then leap. The movements – or “dancing” -- are all part of pair bonding. Sandhill cranes mate for life.

Helzer said, “You see them waking up after all night on the river; it’s gotta be cold. You see them hopping¹² a bit. Then all of a sudden they are jumping in full height and spreading their wings and the morning has started.”

Later, thousands of cranes burst into flight. Their collective movement creates a loud, impressive sound.

“It’s a very emotional experience for everybody,” Munshi said. “Some people cry.”

I’m Jill Robbins.

Words in This Story

migration - n. to move from one area to another at different times of the year

perfect – adj. having all the qualities you want in that kind of person, situation

binoculars - n. a device that you hold up to your eyes and look through to see things that are far away

trip – n. a journey to a place

leftover – adj. a thing that remains¹³ after something is finished or ended

dandelion – n. a very common wild plant that has bright yellow flowers; when its seeds form, they fly away like tiny parachutes

bond- - v. to form a close relationship with someone

all of a sudden – adj. suddenly

collective – adj. involving all members of a group

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 migrations   

n.迁移，移居( migration的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It foundered during the turmoils accompanying the Great Migrations. 它在随着民族大迁徙而出现的混乱中崩溃。 来自辞典例句
• Birds also have built-in timepieces which send them off on fall and spring migrations. 鸟类也有天生的时间感应器指导它们秋春迁移。 来自互联网

3 northward   

adv.向北；n.北方的地区

参考例句：

• He pointed his boat northward.他将船驶向北方。
• I would have a chance to head northward quickly.我就很快有机会去北方了。

4 binoculars   

n.双筒望远镜

参考例句：

• He watched the play through his binoculars.他用双筒望远镜看戏。
• If I had binoculars,I could see that comet clearly.如果我有望远镜，我就可以清楚地看见那颗彗星。

5 wondrous   

adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地

参考例句：

• The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
• We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。

6 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

7 beaks   

n.鸟嘴( beak的名词复数 )；鹰钩嘴；尖鼻子；掌权者

参考例句：

• Baby cockatoos will have black eyes and soft, almost flexible beaks. 雏鸟凤头鹦鹉黑色的眼睛是柔和的，嘴几乎是灵活的。 来自互联网
• Squid beaks are often found in the stomachs of sperm whales. 经常能在抹香鲸的胃里发现鱿鱼的嘴。 来自互联网

8 leftover   

n.剩货，残留物，剩饭；adj.残余的

参考例句：

• These narrow roads are a leftover from the days of horse-drawn carriages.这些小道是从马车时代沿用下来的。
• Wonder if that bakery lets us take leftover home.不知道那家糕饼店会不会让我们把卖剩的带回家。

9 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

11 hop   

n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过

参考例句：

• The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
• How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

12 hopping   

n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The clubs in town are really hopping. 城里的俱乐部真够热闹的。
• I'm hopping over to Paris for the weekend. 我要去巴黎度周末。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。