Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large, long-legged, long-necked bird approximately 37 inches in length with a wingspan of 80 inches. The Sandhill Crane holds its neck and long, pointed bill extended in flight and its dark gray legs trail straight out behind it.
The adult Sandhill Crane has a dark bill, whitish cheeks and chin and an unfeathered red crown. It has entirely gray plumage that often becomes stained with rust or brown, especially about the back and wings. Immature Sandhills appear similar to adults except that they are brown in color and the forehead remains feathered until early winter.
The intensity of red in the bald forehead varies depending on behavioral stimulation which controls skin capillaries by restricting or relaxing blood flow. A brighter red forehead is associated with stressful stimuli; on the other hand, a less conspicuous forehead signals submission.
Sandhill Cranes have a variety of vocalizations, the most common of which is generally described as a repeated series of trumpeting “garoo-a-a-a” calls that can be heard for over a mile. The unison call is typically uttered when two Sandhills begin to pair. It’s a complex and extended series of calls uttered by a pair of the birds standing in a specific posture and spatial relationship to each other. They call in synchrony, but the calls and postures of the sexes differ. The female begins calling and usually utters two notes for every one given by the male. With each call the female elevates her bill about 45 degrees and then returns it to horizontal between calls, whereas the male raises his bill nearly to vertical while calling.
The
Canadian subspecies of the Sandhill Crane winter in Texas, Arizona, California
and Mexico and migrate to their nesting grounds in central and western Canada,
Alaska and even Siberia. These cranes breed in the aspen parklands of central