# Sandhill Crane (*Antigone canadensis*)

> The sandhill crane is a tall grey wading bird of North America and eastern Siberia, known for its elaborate courtship dancing and bugling calls. It stands with a long neck and legs, reaches about 1.2 m in length, and weighs 3 to 6 kg. An omnivore of wetlands and prairies, it can fly at up to 56 km/h and live 20 to 25 years. The species is listed as Least Concern.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Least Concern
- **Range:** North America from Siberia ( nesting populations) through Canada and US to Cuba; Platte River Nebraska staging critical.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/sandhill-crane/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Gruiformes
- **Family:** Gruidae
- **Genus:** Antigone

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Antigone canadensis |
| Diet | Omnivore — grains, insects, amphibians, and small mammals |
| Habitat | Wetlands and prairies of North America and Siberia |
| Lifespan | 20–25 years in the wild |
| Weight | 3–6 kg (6.6–13 lb) |
| Top speed | Up to 56 km/h (35 mph) in flight |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |

## Appearance and identification

The sandhill crane is a large, elegant bird with slate-grey plumage, a long neck, and long dark legs, standing over a metre tall. A patch of bare red skin caps the forehead and crown, one of its most reliable field marks. Adults measure around 1.2 m in length and weigh between 3 and 6 kg, with a wingspan wide enough to make their flight unmistakable. Many birds show a rusty wash on the body, stained by the iron-rich mud they preen into their feathers.

## Dancing and courtship

Sandhill cranes are celebrated for their dramatic dances, in which pairs leap into the air with wings spread, bow, and toss tufts of grass and sticks. Although dancing peaks during courtship, birds of all ages dance throughout the year, and it helps strengthen the bond between mates. Cranes form long-lasting pair bonds and often stay together for many years. Their loud, rattling bugle carries far across open country and is a signature sound of northern wetlands.

## Migration and flocks

Many sandhill cranes are long-distance migrants, breeding across the northern United States, Canada, and Siberia and wintering as far south as the southern United States and Mexico. They fly at speeds up to 56 km/h, riding rising columns of warm air to save energy on their journeys. Each spring, hundreds of thousands gather along Nebraska's Platte River in one of North America's greatest wildlife spectacles. Not all populations migrate; some in the far south stay in one area year-round.

## Diet and feeding

The sandhill crane is an omnivore with a broad diet that shifts with the seasons and habitat. It probes soil and mud for plant tubers, seeds, and waste grain, and also takes insects, snails, amphibians, and small mammals. On migration and in winter, waste corn and other grains in farm fields become an important food source. This flexibility lets the crane thrive across a wide range of wetland and grassland habitats.

## Nesting and chicks

Sandhill cranes nest on the ground, building a large mound of plant material in or beside shallow wetlands. The female usually lays two eggs, and both parents share incubation for around a month. Newly hatched chicks, known as colts, can leave the nest and follow their parents within a day of hatching. Typically only one chick survives to fledge, and young birds stay with their parents through their first migration.

## Conservation status

The sandhill crane is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, and most populations are healthy or increasing thanks to wetland protection and careful management. This marks a strong recovery from the early twentieth century, when hunting and habitat drainage had reduced some populations sharply. A few small, isolated populations in the far south remain vulnerable and receive special protection. Wild sandhill cranes can live 20 to 25 years.

## Frequently asked questions

### How big is a sandhill crane?

Sandhill cranes stand over a metre tall, measure about 1.2 m in length, and weigh between 3 and 6 kg. Their broad wingspan makes them easy to recognise in flight.

### Why do sandhill cranes dance?

Dancing helps sandhill cranes court mates and reinforce their long-term pair bonds. Birds of all ages dance year-round, leaping, bowing, and tossing vegetation into the air.

### What do sandhill cranes eat?

They are omnivores. Their diet includes plant tubers, seeds, and waste grain, along with insects, snails, amphibians, and small mammals, depending on the season and location.

### Where do sandhill cranes migrate?

Many breed across Canada, the northern United States, and Siberia and winter in the southern United States and Mexico. Huge numbers stop over along Nebraska's Platte River each spring.

### How fast do sandhill cranes fly?

Sandhill cranes fly at speeds of up to 56 km/h (35 mph). They often ride rising columns of warm air, gliding to conserve energy on long migrations.

### How long do sandhill cranes live?

Sandhill cranes can live 20 to 25 years in the wild. They are long-lived birds that form lasting pair bonds, with pairs often staying together for many breeding seasons.

## Sources

- [IUCN Red List — Antigone canadensis.](https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Antigone%20canadensis&searchType=species)
- [Animal Diversity Web — Antigone canadensis. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Antigone_canadensis/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/sandhill-crane/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.