Adult sandhill cranes weigh about 12 pounds. The sandhill crane is a close relative to the nearly extinct whooping crane. This species is gray with a long neck and . Sandhill Crane Description
About the height of a Great Blue Heron but twice as heavy, Sandhill Cranes are normally western birds, known for hanging out in large numbers in prairies and the type of grasslands that are not natural habitats in New Jersey. Spending their summers in Canada, large flocks make their way to Nebraska and other points south and west for the winter. A fossil from the Miocene Epoch, some ten million years ago, was found to be structurally the same as the modern sandhill crane. Found in several scattered areas of North America, Sandhill Cranes reach their peak abundance at migratory stopover points on the Great Plains. Adult sandhill cranes weigh about 12 pounds. Sandhill Crane Facts and Information Grus canadensis Introduction to Sandhill Crane. (Photo: Haricharan [CC BY-ND 2.0]/Flickr) Habitat: mostly wetlands but also hayfields, pastures and other plant communities Males are larger than females, but external markings are identical.
Along with the sandhill crane, it is one of only two crane species found in North America.The whooping crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild. There are six subspecies of the Sandhill Crane: Greater, Lesser, Canadian, Mississippi, Florida, and Cuba. Males are larger than females, but external markings are identical. There are 15 crane species in the world. The sandhill crane is a close relative to the nearly extinct whooping crane. Today, these large birds are found predominately in North America. The Sandhill Crane is a very interesting bird. Height: almost 4 feet tall . Two of those species – the Sandhill Crane and Whooping Crane – breed in the United States. The early spring gathering of Sandhills on the Platte River in Nebraska is among the greatest wildlife spectacles on the continent, with over a quarter of a million birds present at one time.
They can be up to4 feet tall when they are mature and have a wing span up to 7 feet wide. Weight: males 12 lbs, females 11 lbs. Florida Sandhilll Crane 2 | Page legs, and a bald spot of red skin on the top of its head. Sandhill Crane Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology These tall, gray-bodied, crimson-capped birds breed in open wetlands, fields, and prairies across North America. The males are heavier with a weight of about10 pounds compared to an average female of 9 pounds. Sandhill Crane populations are generally strong, but isolated populations in Mississippi and Cuba are endangered. Males are larger than females, but external markings are identical. The Sandhill Crane Migration in Kearney, Nebraska takes place from late February to early April. The whooping crane (Grus americana), the tallest North American bird, is an endangered crane species named for its whooping sound. Over 600,000 Cranes converge on the Platte River, making it one of earth’s greatest migrations. Sandhill Crane populations are generally strong, but isolated populations in Mississippi and Cuba are endangered. Sandhill Crane (Photo by Nina Faust) General Information. The sandhill crane is a close relative to the nearly extinct whooping crane. Sandhill Crane Range Map, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology These tall, gray-bodied, crimson-capped birds breed in open wetlands, fields, and prairies across North America. Adult sandhill cranes weigh about 12 pounds. Facts About Greater Sandhill Crane. The sandhill crane … The Florida sandhill crane can reach a height of 47.2 inches (120 centimeters) with a wingspan around 78.7 inches (200 centimeters) (Nesbitt 1996). Wingspan: over 6 feet. A sandhill crane taking flight over the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in Indiana.