Something unusual happened here in the Middleton area last summer: a pair of Sandhill Cranes adopted an orphaned Canada Goose gosling—and raised it right alongside their own colt (that’s what a baby crane is called).
Juuli, Bishops Bay’s head of Housekeeping, shared with us a series of incredible photos her mom captured as this little “blended family” moved through the season. In the images, you’ll see the birds doing all the normal summer things—hanging out on the shoreline, swimming together, feeding, and navigating the world as a tight-knit unit. And in a few moments that feel almost cinematic, you’ll see them crossing roads together as a group—the young birds hustling to keep pace with two protective parents.
Below are a couple of samples, and you can view the incredible full set on Flickr by clicking this link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/196302635@N05/albums/72177720328505102
How does something like this even happen?
Most of the time, it doesn’t—which is part of what makes this story so captivating.
Cross-species adoption between Sandhill Cranes and Canada Geese is rare enough that birders and researchers track these cases closely. A widely documented example occurred in Michigan in 2019, when a Sandhill Crane couple was seen raising a gosling alongside their own colt. More recently, Madison-area birders followed a similar adoption in 2024, when a gosling (nicknamed “Lucy”) was repeatedly seen traveling with—and being protected by—two adult cranes.
