Tall (4 ft), gray, and ancient — sandhill cranes are among the oldest living bird species on Earth, with a fossil record stretching back 2.5 million years.

Also called: Sandhill

Native status: Native; common (Mississippi subspecies endangered)

§ Quick facts

SizeBody 80–122 cm (32–48 in); wingspan 1.6–2.1 m
WeightLesser subspecies 3.2 kg; Greater subspecies 5.4 kg
LifespanWild typically 20 years; oldest documented 36
OrderGruiformes
FamilyGruidae

§ Encyclopedia

The sandhill crane is a species complex of large cranes of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird refers to its habitat, such as the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills on the American Great Plains. Sandhill cranes are known to frequent the edges of bodies of water. The central Platte River Valley in Nebraska is the most important stopover area for the nominotypical subspecies, the lesser sandhill crane (A. c. canadensis), with up to 450,000 of these birds migrating through annually.

Source: Wikipedia — Sandhill crane Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Tall gray crane with red crown patch; rusty staining on body from preening with iron-rich mud. White cheek and throat. Bustle of feathers over rump.

Similar species. Whooping Crane (much rarer, white). Great Blue Heron (similar size, but bent neck in flight vs. crane's extended).

Voice. Loud rattling bugles audible 4+ km; juveniles give peeping calls.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Omnivorous: seeds, waste grain, berries, tubers, insects, worms, snakes, small mammals, eggs.

Behavior. Pairs mate for life. Famously perform unison "dancing" with bows, leaps, and stick-tosses during courtship. Mid-continent population numbers ~600,000+ — congregates each March on Nebraska's Platte River in one of the great wildlife spectacles of North America. Some non-migratory populations in Florida, Mississippi (federally endangered), and Cuba.

§ Range

Migratory across the central flyway; year-round in Florida, Mississippi, Cuba

§ Habitat

Open prairies, grain fields, freshwater marshes, and wet meadows

§ Threats

Wetland loss, collisions with power lines on migration routes, decreasing crop residue (waste grain) on industrial farms.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the sandhill crane is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Support Platte River and Audubon stopover habitat. Keep dogs leashed near nesting wetlands in spring. Mark power lines along flyways.

Support our work More ways to help

§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • International Crane Foundation
  • Cornell Lab — All About Birds
  • Rowe Sanctuary
  • IUCN Red List 2016