# Sandhill Crane (*Antigone canadensis*) The Sandhill Crane is a tall bird with gray feathers and a red cap on its head. It loves to dance and make loud calls with its friends. These cranes fly in a V-shape when migrating long distances. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 106 - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Grus canadensis ![Sandhill Crane](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426239/objects/6381.jpg) ## Appearance The Sandhill Crane is a large, gray bird with long dark legs and a remarkably long neck. Its most striking feature is a distinctive bright red patch of bare skin on its forehead, setting it apart from other tall wading birds. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Gruiformes - **Family:** Gruidae - **Genus:** Grus ## Interesting facts - A group of Sandhill Cranes is sometimes called a 'herd' or even a 'dance'! - Baby cranes are called 'colts' and often stay with their parents for almost a full year. - Sandhill Cranes are one of the oldest known bird species, with fossils over 2.5 million years old! - Their strong, pointed bills are perfect tools for digging up tasty roots and small critters. ## Special abilities - **Trumpet Call:** Sandhill Cranes have a super long windpipe that coils into their chest, helping them make incredibly loud, trumpeting calls. - **Mud Painter:** Sandhill Cranes can 'paint' their feathers with mud and plant matter, camouflaging themselves to blend in better. - **Migration Marathoner:** Sandhill Cranes can fly thousands of kilometers, traveling between breeding and wintering grounds with incredible endurance. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 90-120 cm - **Wingspan:** 160-210 cm - **Weight:** 3-6.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-25 years - **Speed:** 70 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-3 - **Incubation:** 29-32 days - **Migration Distance:** 8000 km ## Diet & Feeding These tall birds eat a wide variety of plants and small animals they find by foraging. - **Primary Foods:** Grains, Seeds, Insects, Berries, Frogs, Roots - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — Coyotes sometimes prey on crane eggs and young colts. - **Eaten by:** [Golden Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/golden-eagle) (*Aquila chrysaetos*) — Golden Eagles can predate on young or injured Sandhill Cranes. - **Eats:** [Corn](https://www.snappit.app/explore/corn) (*Zea mays*) — Cranes often forage for waste corn after harvests in fields. - **Eats:** Common Spikerush (*Eleocharis palustris*) — Cranes consume tubers and roots of wetland plants. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Observe Sandhill Cranes from a safe distance to avoid disturbing them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Sandhill Crane? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Sandhill Crane? 90-120 cm ### What is Sandhill Crane's wingspan? 160-210 cm ### How much does Sandhill Crane weigh? 3-6.5 kg ### How long does Sandhill Crane live? 20-25 years ### How fast can Sandhill Crane move? 70 km/h ### What does Sandhill Crane eat? These tall birds eat a wide variety of plants and small animals they find by foraging. ### Where is Sandhill Crane usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Boerner Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/boerner-botanical-gardens) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Fort Brown](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-brown) — US · Historic Site - [Geauga Park District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/geauga-park-district) — Ohio, US · Nature Reserve - [Gensburg-Markham Prairie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gensburg-markham-prairie) — Illinois, US · Nature Reserve - [Illinois Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/illinois-street-historic-district) — Alaska, US · Historic District - [Kincaid Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kincaid-park) — Alaska, US · Park [View all places to see Sandhill Crane](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/sandhill-crane) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Sandhill Crane: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sandhill-crane)