Library #31 · B Wetland · Wave 2

Sandhill Crane

Antigone canadensis · Gruidae

Ancient trumpeting migrants — necks straight out in flight (unlike herons).

At a glance

Size: 34–48 in
Wingspan: 5–7 ft
Habitat: Prairies, wetlands, ag fields on migration
Diet: Grains, tubers, invertebrates, small vertebrates

Range: North America; famous staging grounds (e.g., Platte River)

Nesting: Mound nest in a marsh; usually two eggs.

Coloring pose idea: In flight with neck outstretched / marsh pair

Hear this bird

General call / song: Loud rolling kar-r-r-r-oo that carries for miles.

Mating / display: Pair / courtship recordings are linked below when Audubon labels them. Original note — Unison calling by the pair; elaborate dance displays.

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Play calls on All About Birds Species overview Audubon field guide Mating / courtship calls

How to know it

Tall gray bird with red forehead patch and bustle of feathers over the rump.
Flies with neck extended; deep wingbeats.
Juveniles rusty-washed; adults may paint feathers with mud.

Behavior

Famous dancing displays — bows, leaps, wing spreads.
Migrates in large noisy flocks.
Pairs bond for years; colts stay with parents into migration.

Fun facts

Fossil lineage of cranes is tens of millions of years old.
Hundreds of thousands stage along Nebraska’s Platte River.
Red cap is bare skin, not feathers.

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text or short paraphrases with source links. Call playback via link to All About Birds / Cornell Lab. Re-test QR codes on a phone before final print. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab or Audubon.