Sandhill Cranes – Grus canadensis
Natural History of the Sandhill Crane, a Species that Still Thrives
The Sandhill Crane is the crane species most commonly seen in North America. It is found in Mexico, the United States, Canada, and eastern Siberia.
There are two species of cranes found in North America: Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes. Sandhill Cranes belong to six subspecies, three of which are migratory. Of the nonmigratory subspecies, two are endangered; however, Sandhill Cranes are generally doing well, and number in the hundreds of thousands.
Identification of the Sandhill Crane
Sandhill Cranes, Grus canadensis, are large birds with long legs, long necks, and long bills. Adults can reach 1.2 meters in height (nearly four feet) and have a wingspan of two meters (6.5 feet). They have a red crown and white cheeks, and are otherwise grey with an occasional hint of rusty brown. Whooping Cranes, rare and endangered, occasionally forage, roost, and migrate with Sandhill Cranes, but the two species look very different: adult Whooping Cranes are white with black wing tips. In flight, cranes can be distinguished from herons by the fact that they fly with both their necks and feet held straight. Herons hold their neck curved back in an “S” in flight.
Range of the Sandhill Crane
Fossil records tell us that Sandhill Cranes have lived in North America for more than nine million years. Today, Sandhill Cranes winter as far south as Mexico and breed from western Minnesota north to Alaska and even Siberia. Migratory birds begin migration by the end of February, often congregating in very large numbers at stages along the flyway where food is abundant. Here they feed and rest, putting on weight for continued migration, and unmated birds may select mates.
Breeding in Sandhill Cranes
Sandhill Cranes begin breeding at three to five years of age. Like other crane species, Sandhill Crane couples engage in elaborate and beautiful courtship dances. They mate for life, and chicks stay with their parents until they are about ten months old. Though two eggs are often laid, only one chick typically survives the first year. The lifespan of a Sandhill Crane is 20 to 25 years.
Conservation Status of the Sandhill Crane
Human activities have destroyed many of the wetlands that Sandhill Cranes once depended on for food (invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, and plant material), but Sandhill Cranes have done better than other crane species because they have learned to forage for corn in the fields near their roosts. This activity is not destructive to corn crops because the birds are clearing away corn left lying in the field after the harvest the previous fall.
Roosting sites for migratory Sandhill Cranes provide a spectacular show for bird enthusiasts during March and April. One such roost is Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary in Nebraska, US. National Geographic maintains a seasonal web cam at the sanctuary.
Read about other cranes:
Vacation with Cranes in Hungary
Japanese Cranes, Symbols of Peace
Wild Canadian Whooping Cranes Hatch 76 Chicks in 2006
Sources for this article:
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
