S Is for Sandhill: A Crane Alphabet

This is a book of cranes, from A to Z, written and illustrated by the world’s foremost authority on the 15 species of these wonderful and ancient birds. It is a book for all ages, and for all who love and marvel at the beauty, order, and variety of the natural world.Cranes exhibit complex behavior, pair-bonding, and fascinating social interactions. They migrate huge distances, crossing continents, oceans, and mountains between their nesting and wintering areas. Seven of the world’s 15 crane species are listed as “vulnerable,” three as “endangered,” one as “critically endangered,” and only three as of “least concern.” Conservation efforts have brought back whooping cranes from the brink of extinction, but the threats to all cranes posed by habitat reduction and climate change are real.This is an opportunity to share the wonder of these magnificent birds with young and old, and to appreciate their gift to us all.Paul Johnsgard is emeritus professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He is the author of roughly 100 books of ornithology and natural history and is a recognized champion of conservation and environmental preservation.