Basic Description
sandhill crane migration map
Sandhill Cranes are elegant, whether they walk alone in a wet meadow or fill the sky by the thousands. These tall birds have gray bodies and red caps. They breed in wetlands, fields, and prairies all over North America. They group together in great numbers, filling the air with distinctive rolling cries. Mates display to each other with exuberant dances that keep a gangly grace. Sandhill Crane populations are generally healthy. However, the ones in Mississippi and Cuba are in danger.
Cool Facts
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The Sandhill Crane’s call is a loud, trumpeting sound. Its unique tone comes from its anatomy. Sandhill Cranes have long tracheas that coil into their sternum. This helps create a lower pitch and richer harmonics.
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People know sandhill cranes for their dancing skills.
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Cranes are elegant birds that inspire many cultures. Aldo Leopold, a great scientist and conservationist, admired them too. He described their “nobility, won in the march of aeons.”
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Some Sandhill Cranes start breeding at two years old. But, they might wait until they are seven to breed. They mate for life—which can mean two decades or more—and stay with their mates year-round. Juveniles stick close by their parents for 9 or 10 months after hatching.
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The oldest Sandhill Crane fossil is about 2.5 million years old. It was found in the Macasphalt Shell Pit in Florida.
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Sandhill Crane chicks can leave the nest within 8 hours of hatching and are even capable of swimming.
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The oldest Sandhill Crane on record was at least 37 years and 3 months old. Researchers banded it in Florida in 1982, and they discovered it in Wisconsin in 2019.
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Sandhill crane migration
Find This Bird
Sandhill Cranes are big birds. They live in open areas, so it’s easy to see them in the right spots. In summer, find them in small bogs, marshes, and prairies. They gather in large flocks in winter. You can hear their unique bugling calls from miles away. These calls can let you know they are nearby. You might hear them flying overhead during migration.
Other Names
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Grulla canadiense (Spanish)
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Grue du Canada (français)
Migration
Resident to long-distance migrant. Three subspecies live year-round in Florida, Mississippi, and Cuba. Three other subspecies migrate from northern North America to the southern U.S. and northern Mexico.
Sandhill crane migration Map
