Sandhill Crane

Antigone canadensis

Sandhill Cranes make a distinct loud, rolling, trumpeting call that often identifies them long before they’re seen.

Habitat 

Look for Sandhill Cranes in summer across most of Canada and Alaska at open wetlands surrounded by shrubs or trees, including marshes, bogs, wet meadows, and prairies. Winter takes them to southern United States, particularly Texas, California, and Florida, as well as northern Mexico.

Food 

Seeds and grains are the main food of Sandhill Cranes, but they will also eat berries, small vertebrates, like frogs and snakes, and invertebrates, like insects.

Behaviour  

Sandhill Cranes mate for life. Elaborate dancing displays are used to choose mates. A nest of plants is built on the ground, or in shallow water. Two eggs are usually laid, with one typically surviving. Young hatch well-developed and ready to start feeding. Young will stay with their parents for 9 to 10 months. For migration, many birds will gather to form flocks, sometimes in the thousands. Large and imposing, they will kick their feet and spread their wings to ward off predators.

Conservation  

Numerous across their range, Sandhill Crane populations have actually increased slightly since the 1960s. Local populations can face threats from habitat loss and recovery can be slow because of their low birth rate.

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