What specific food sources might a Whooping Crane focus on during a stopover site in Kansas?
Answer
Spilled wheat or harvested root vegetables
The diet of the Whooping Crane dynamically shifts based on geography. When cranes stop over on inland agricultural fields, such as those in Kansas, their focus changes dramatically from coastal wetland prey. In these environments, they exploit resources left behind by farming operations, specifically focusing on waste grain like spilled wheat, or root vegetables like potatoes and carrots that may have been left in the ground or damaged during mechanical harvesting processes. This reliance on agricultural output demonstrates a significant adaptation to exploit predictable, easily accessible food resources during migration.
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