An update to my art book cover, featuring one of my favorite recent bird illustrations!

The two species of crane that call North America home are nothing if not elegant.

Sandhill Cranes (left) are well-known for their exciting courtship dances, which involve graceful leaps, bows, and wing stretching. The trumpeting call of these birds is enabled by a long, curved trachea that enriches lower notes.  

The endangered Whooping Crane (right) population dwindled to just 21 birds in 1941, but has since grown to 600. Captive-bred birds have no parents to teach them their migration route, so researchers stepped in, using light aircraft to lead young cranes from start to finish.