Photo: Frank Schulenburg / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Sandhill Crane
Antigone canadensis
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) — Cranes & Rails of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) is a member of the Gruidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 4.3 kg.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Gruiformes
- Family Gruidae Cranes
- Genus Antigone
- Species canadensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 4.3 kg
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Gruidae
- Order
- Gruiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes look alike (grey overall with a bare red crown/forehead and white cheeks); males average slightly larger.
Juvenile appearance
Immatures are reddish/rusty-brown above with grey underparts and lack both the red crown and the pale/white cheek of adults.
Breeding vs non-breeding
No true plumage change, but breeding adults preen iron-rich mud into their feathers, staining the grey a rusty ochre during the nesting season (the stain molts out by fall).
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Sandhill Crane is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Sandhill Crane is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) belongs to the Gruidae family of the order Gruiformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA widespread.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 4.3 kg, with a wing length of about 47.8 cm and a tail of around 17.5 cm.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 8.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Sandhill Crane?
The Sandhill Crane is a very large bird that weighs around 4.3 kg.
Where does the Sandhill Crane live?
The Sandhill Crane is found across North America with a range covering NA widespread, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Sandhill Crane belong to?
The Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) belongs to the Gruidae family, in the order Gruiformes.
What does the Sandhill Crane eat?
The Sandhill Crane is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Sandhill Crane migrate?
The Sandhill Crane is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
What sound does the Sandhill Crane make?
1 real field recording of the Sandhill Crane — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Sandhill Crane's range?
The Sandhill Crane has a mapped global range of about 8.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Gruidae
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
More in Cranes & Rails
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Extinct
Guides for this bird
Great Blue Heron vs Sandhill Crane: How to Tell Them Apart
How to tell a Great Blue Heron from a Sandhill Crane — size, range, family and status compared side by side, with links to each bird’s full ID guide.