Greater Sandhill Crane - Pacific Forest Trust

Greater Sandhill Crane

Greater Sandhill Crane

Quick Facts

Latin Name: Grus canadensis tabida

Status: No special status

Population: Northern United States and southern Canada (summer). Southern U.S. (winter)

Diet: Seeds, berries, small vertebrates, and small invertebrates

Weight: 119.9–172.8 ounces

Length: 45-50 inches

 

About the Greater Sandhill Crane

Greater sandhill cranes have a loud, trumpeting call that results from their unusually long tracheas, lending their voice a deeper tone than many other birds.

Although the cranes are sexually mature after two years, they may be as old as seven before they first breed. This is not a problem since greater sandhill cranes can live pretty long in the wild – the oldest on record lived to be over 36 years old!

Greater sandhill cranes mate with one partner for life, choosing their mates based on energetic dancing displays. Females usually lay two eggs per mating season, but typically only one fledgling survives to adulthood. Nests are constructed from available vegetation in isolated wetlands. Family units migrate together with many other families, causing some flocks of greater sandhill cranes to approach the tens of thousands in number.

For more information: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and USDA Forest Service
Photography: Image #1 by Steve Betts, Image #2 by Ken Thomas.

HABITATS

The greater sandhill crane lives in the following habitats:

How you can help this species

The greater sandhill crane needs your help to preserve its natural habitat. Together, with Pacific Forest Trust and our network of partners, we can all protect the spaces this species needs to survive.

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Conservation PROJECTS WITH
Greater Sandhill Crane HABITATS

The Pacific Forest Trust is dedicated to preserving natural habitats and forest systems where animals can thrive. Explore some of our conservation projects and easements in and around greater sandhill crane habitat.