Grus canadensis

The North Platte and Platte River valleys are important spring staging areas from early March to mid-April. The Platte Valley harbors (in late March) the largest crane concentration in the world (about 500,000 cranes).
Photo Credit: Geoffrey A. Hammerson
Grus canadensis
Common Name: sandhill crane
Animal Guild: Bird
Class > Order > Family: Aves > Gruiformes > Gruidae
What does the species look like? Sandhill cranes are tall, long-necked, long-legged birds with a clump of feathers that droops over the rump. They fly with the neck and legs fully extended. Adults are gray overall (may have brownish-red staining resulting from preening with muddy bill), with a whitish chin, cheek, and upper throat, and dull red skin on the crown and lores (lacking in immatures). Immatures have a pale brown to tawny, feathered head and neck, and a gray body with brownish-red mottling. Average length is around 41 inches( 104 cm), wingspan about 73 inches (185 cm), but size varies geographically. Sandhill cranes have distinctive, penetrating bugling calls that can be heard across great distances and usually alert one to their presence before they are actually seen.
Where is the species found?
States & Provinces
AB, AK, AL, AR, AZ, BC, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MB, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NT, NU, NV, OH, OK, ON, OR, PA, QC, SC, SD, SK, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, YT
Distribution

Breeding range extends from northeastern Siberia, northern Alaska, and middle arctic Canada (to Baffin Island) south locally to northeastern California, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois, and Michigan, formerly south to Nebraska, Indiana, and Ohio; also locally from southern Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia south through Florida to Cuba and Isles of Pines. Winter range extends from the southern United States south to northern Mexico and Cuba.

Breeding habitat includes open grasslands, marshes, marshy edges of lakes and ponds, and river banks. Nests are on the ground or in shallow water on open tundra, marshes, bogs, fens, or wet forest meadows. During the nonbreeding season, sandhill cranes roost at night in shallow water along river channels, on alluvial islands of braided rivers, or in natural basin wetlands. A communal roost site consisting of an open expanse of shallow water is a key feature of wintering habitat. Cranes migrating in spring through interior Alaska often roost on river overflow ice of the Tanana River or on the ice of ponds and lakes. Feeding and resting often occur in fields and agricultural lands.
General Phenology and Life History Nesting populations in Alaska arrive on breeding grounds from late April to mid-May, depart mainly from late August to early October, and arrive in California in December and in Texas from October to January. Migrants depart California beginning in late February. Departure from Texas wintering areas occurs mainly from late February to early March. Populations of nesting in the contiguous western United States depart breeding grounds from September to November. Cranes from the Rocky Mountain population arrive in the San Luis Valley (Colorado) by late August, peak in October, and depart in November. Northbound cranes arrive back in San Luis Valley in early February, depart mainly in late March-early April, and arrive back on nesting areas in early April. Eastern nesting populations depart nesting areas from late September to early December, with peak departures in early October. They arrive on Florida wintering areas by late October, with most arrivals by mid-November to mid-December. Departure from Florida occurs from late February to early April (mainly early March. Arrival in nesting areas occurs primarily in early to mid-April. Florida, southern Mississippi, and Cuba host resident, nonmigratory populations. Nests may contain eggs from late February to late May in Florida (mean laying date mid-March), mainly in April in mid-U.S., and primarily mid-May in the north. Both sexes, in turn, incubate usually 2 eggs for 28-30 days. Young are tended by both parents, begin flying at about 2 months, and remain with their parents until the following year. Usually only one chick survives to fledging.
Which phenophases should I observe?
Do you see/hear...?
Activity Live individuals
One or more individuals are seen or heard moving about or at rest.
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Feeding
One or more individuals are seen feeding or foraging. If possible, record the name of the species or substance being eaten or describe it in the comments field.

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Fruit/seed consumption
One or more individuals are seen eating the fleshy fruits, seeds, or cones of a plant. If possible, record the name of the plant or describe it in the comments field.

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Insect consumption
One or more individuals are seen eating insects. If possible, record the name of the insect or describe it in the comments field.

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Calls or song
One or more individuals are heard calling or singing.

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Territorial individuals
One or more individuals are seen or heard defending a territory. This may be indicated by calls or song used as part of a territorial proclamation, chasing of an individual of the same species from a breeding area (but do not confuse this with courtship behavior, which in some species may involve chasing), or calls or displays directed at individuals of the same or a different species to defend a feeding area.

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Reproduction Courtship
A male and female are seen near one another and are engaged in courtship behavior. Do not include male displays in the absence of a female.

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Mating
A male and female are seen coupled in a mating position, usually with the male on top of the female.

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Nest building
One or more adults are seen constructing a nest or carrying nesting material.

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Occupied nest
One or more adults are seen sitting on a nest, entering or leaving a nest site under circumstances indicating its use for nesting (including nest defense behavior), or live eggs or nestlings are seen in a nest.

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Development Downy young
One or more young are seen covered with fluffy down feathers and not yet any smooth contour feathers.

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Partially-fledged young
One or more young are seen with a mix of fluffy down and smooth contour feathers, and often have an unkempt or ragged appearance.

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Fledged young
One or more young are seen covered with smooth contour feathers and no longer any fluffy, natal down feathers. This includes young incapable of sustained flight and young which are still dependent on adults.

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Dead individuals
One or more dead individuals are seen.

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Dead nestlings or fledglings
One ore more dead nestlings or young are seen.

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Method Individuals at a feeding station
One or more individuals are seen visiting a feeder, feeding station, or food placed by a person.

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What do these phenophases look like?

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