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.
Region
North America and Northeast Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds widely across Alaska, Canada, and parts of the northern United States, with isolated resident populations in Florida and Cuba. Some populations reach extreme northeastern Siberia. Winters primarily in the southern United States and northern Mexico. Favors open wetlands, prairie potholes, bogs, and sedge meadows for breeding, and often uses agricultural fields during migration and winter. Large flocks roost at night on shallow river sandbars and marsh edges for safety.
Altitude Range
0–3000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Sandhill cranes are famous for their mass migrations and spectacular dancing displays, which strengthen pair bonds. They gather in huge numbers on the Platte River in Nebraska during spring migration, roosting on shallow sandbars. Pairs are long-lived and usually mate for life, defending territories on breeding grounds. Their fossil record in North America extends back millions of years, making them one of the continent’s oldest surviving crane lineages.
Lesser sandhill crane (A. c. canadensis)George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Ladner, British Columbia
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
strong flier that soars on thermals with steady wingbeats and outstretched neck
Social Behavior
Forms lifelong monogamous pairs and engages in elaborate dancing with bows, leaps, and wing flaps. Nests on the ground in wetlands, usually on mounded vegetation near shallow water. Outside the breeding season, gathers in large flocks and uses communal roosts for safety.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Loud, rolling bugling calls that carry over long distances, produced by their elongated windpipe. Pairs often perform synchronized duets, with a resonant, trumpet-like quality.
Plumage
Overall gray plumage often stained rusty-brown from preening with iron-rich mud; loose, drooping tertials form a bustle over the tail. Feathers are smooth and sleek with subtle mottling.
Diet
Omnivorous, taking grains, seeds, and tubers as well as insects, earthworms, snails, and small vertebrates such as frogs or mice. During migration and winter, waste grain like corn and wheat can be a major food source. On breeding grounds, they probe soft soils for invertebrates and forage along wetland margins. They adapt their diet seasonally to what is most abundant.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in shallow wetlands, wet meadows, marsh edges, and agricultural fields. Often forages in stubble and freshly plowed fields by day, then moves to shallow water to roost at night.
