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Sandhill cranes and whooping cranes are two different species of large birds in the crane family. The main differences between them are:
- Size – Sandhill cranes are smaller, averaging 3-4 feet tall. Whooping cranes stand about 5 feet tall.
- Color – Sandhill cranes are gray overall with some red on their head. Whooping cranes are white with black wingtips.
- Range – Sandhill cranes live across North America. Whooping cranes live only in limited areas of the central US and Canada.
- Population – Sandhill cranes number over 600,000. Whooping cranes number around 500.
- Conservation status – Sandhill cranes are abundant. Whooping cranes are endangered.
In summary, sandhill cranes are smaller, more widespread, and less endangered than the rarer and taller whooping crane. But both are large, long-legged wading birds in the crane family.
Cranes are large birds in the family Gruidae, which includes 15 species of long-legged, long-necked birds found on every continent except South America and Antarctica. Two crane species that live in North America are the sandhill crane and the whooping crane. Both are quite large, standing about 3-5 feet tall with wingspans of 5-7 feet. But they have some distinct differences in their size, coloration, geographic breeding ranges, conservation status, and behaviors.
Sandhill and whooping cranes are in the Gruinae subfamily, which contains all the cranes except the crowned cranes of Africa. There are now only 15 crane species living today, though the fossil record shows that there used to be many more species. Cranes are related to rails and limpkins. All these species are part of the larger group of birds called the Gruiformes.
This article will go over the major differences between sandhill cranes and whooping cranes. It will compare their size, color patterns, geographic ranges, habitats, diets, population numbers, mating rituals, and conservation status. It will also briefly cover some facts about their biology and evolution.
Size Differences
The most noticeable difference between sandhill cranes and whooping cranes is their size. Sandhill cranes reach heights of 3-4 feet (0.9-1.2 m) and have wingspans of 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 m). Their weight ranges from 7 to 14 lbs (3.2-6.3 kg).
Whooping cranes are significantly taller at about 5 feet (1.5 m) high. Their wingspan is wider too, at up to 7 feet (2.1 m) across. Whoopers are also heavier than sandhills, weighing 16-22 lbs (7.3-10 kg).
So while sandhill cranes are by no means small birds, whooping cranes are taller and bulkier overall. The whooping crane’s height advantage likely developed to help them spot and catch prey in their wetland habitats. Their larger size requires more energy but also provides more strength for long migrations.
Average Height and Wingspan
Species | Height | Wingspan |
---|---|---|
Sandhill Crane | 3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) | 5-6 ft (1.5-1.8 m) |
Whooping Crane | 5 ft (1.5 m) | 7 ft (2.1 m) |
The sandhill’s smaller size is likely the original or ancestral state, as they are the more numerous and widespread species. The whooping crane evolved to be larger, perhaps to fill an ecological niche as a taller bird able to spot and catch fish, frogs, and other prey.
Plumage and Color Differences
Sandhill and whooping cranes also differ noticeably in their plumage colors and patterns. Sandhill cranes are mostly gray overall, with skin color on their face and red coloring on the top of their head. Their plumage can vary from silvery gray to darker grayish brown. The darker gray individuals tend to live in the eastern U.S.
Sandhill cranes have bright red skin covering their forehead, lores, and crown. This can be difficult to see from afar and mostly looks gray-brown. But during mating displays, the red becomes much more visible when the crane puffs up its head feathers. Juvenile sandhill cranes lack the red coloring until they mature.
In contrast, whooping cranes have bright white plumage covering their entire body except the black wingtips. This black-and-white pattern really stands out in their wetland environments. Their heads do not have any red coloring like the sandhill cranes.
Species | Plumage Colors |
---|---|
Sandhill Crane | Mostly gray with some red on crown |
Whooping Crane | Bright white with black wingtips |
The sandhill cranes’ drab gray and brown plumage provides camouflage in the open environments where they breed and feed. In contrast, the whooping crane’s bright white feathers stand out but signal their identity to other cranes in their dense marsh habitats. Their black wingtips may also help frighten predators when outstretched.
Geographic Ranges
Sandhill and whooping cranes differ significantly in their breeding ranges and migration routes across North America. Sandhill cranes live across North America and even into northeastern Siberia. They breed across the western United States and Canada, parts of the eastern U.S., and the Great Lakes region.
Their key breeding areas include Alaska, Canada, the Intermountain West, the Pacific Northwest, and the Great Lakes states. Large migratory flocks of sandhill cranes winter in California, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and northern Mexico. Smaller non-migratory populations live year-round in Mississippi, Florida, and Cuba.
In comparison, whooping cranes have a much more restricted range centered around three key areas:
- Wood Buffalo National Park (Canada)
- Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (Texas)
- Wisconsin and adjacent states
Their only self-sustaining natural population nests in Wood Buffalo Park and winters on Aransas NWR over 2,500 miles away. This is the longest migration of any North American bird species. A small reintroduced population lives in the eastern U.S.
Breeding and Wintering Areas
Species | Breeding Areas | Wintering Areas |
---|---|---|
Sandhill Crane | Western U.S. and Canada, Great Lakes states, eastern Siberia | California, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, northern Mexico |
Whooping Crane | Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada | Aransas NWR, Texas |
So in summary, sandhill cranes are widely distributed across northern North America, while whooping cranes breed in only one main location and winter in one coastal preserve over 2,500 miles away. The whooping crane’s limited range makes it more vulnerable to extinction.
Habitats
The two crane species live in somewhat different wetland habitats within their breeding ranges. Sandhill cranes use a wider variety of wetland types, including freshwater marshes, wet prairies, flooded fields, river backwaters, and boreal bogs. They also forage in dry grasslands and agricultural fields.
Whooping cranes are more restricted to breeding on wetlands within the boreal forest. They prefer nesting in shallow marshes, beaver ponds, and swamps within or near Wood Buffalo National Park. On their wintering grounds, they inhabit brackish and saltwater marshes, tidal flats, and ponds.
During migration, both species stop to rest and feed in various wetlands, river backwaters, and agricultural fields along their migration corridors. Networks of protected wetlands help provide safe roosting spots.
While sandhill cranes will inhabit whatever wetlands are available across their huge range, whooping cranes are more selective and rely on specific sites. Loss of those sites has greatly reduced their numbers and range over the last century. Protecting their remaining habitats is crucial to the whooping crane’s survival.
Diets
Sandhill and whooping cranes are both omnivorous, feeding on a diverse mix of plant and animal foods. They are opportunistic foragers that take advantage of abundant seasonal food sources. Their diets shifting based on food availability.
Sandhill cranes eat mostly plants, including berries, tubers from marsh plants, grass seeds, wheat grains, and waste corn where available. They supplement this with some animal foods like insects, earthworms, snails, crayfish, amphibians, and small reptiles.
Whooping cranes have a more evenly mixed diet between plant and animal foods. They still eat berries and marsh plant tubers, but also prey more heavily on fish, frogs, turtles, snakes, crayfish, and large insects. Their longer bills help them catch animal prey in wetlands.
Both species forage by walking slowly through shallow wetlands and fields, probing the ground and water to catch prey. They may also dig and rake with their bills and feet to uncover hidden foods. Where available, agricultural grains provide an abundant food source for migrating and wintering cranes.
Species | Major Foods |
---|---|
Sandhill Crane | Berries, seeds, tubers, grains, insects, worms |
Whooping Crane | Berries, tubers, grains, fish, frogs, turtles, insects |
The similar yet nuanced diets of sandhills and whoopers reflect adaptations to their wetland habitats. Both diversify their food sources to take advantage of seasonal abundances.
Population Numbers
One of the starkest differences between the two crane species is their total population sizes. Sandhill cranes are thriving with an estimated global population of over 600,000 birds. Their numbers increased rapidly during the 20th century following hunting regulation and habitat protection.
Sandhill crane subspecies number from around 30,000 up to over 100,000 birds each. The lesser sandhill crane is the most numerous subspecies. Meanwhile, a preliminary 2022 count estimated the total whooping crane population at around 825 birds in 4 subpopulations. Their only self-sustaining natural population that migrates between Wood Buffalo and Aransas NWR numbers around 500 cranes.
This is a massive difference in population size, though whooping crane numbers have slowly increased following conservation efforts. By the 1940s, only 15 whooping cranes remained. Their populations recovered from the brink of extinction but are still endangered.
Species | Estimated Global Population |
---|---|
Sandhill Crane | Over 600,000 |
Whooping Crane | Around 825 |
The sandhill crane’s large population gives it an extensive genetic diversity and resilience. But the whooping crane has little genetic diversity and remains vulnerable to any population shocks and habitat loss. Ongoing conservation efforts aim to gradually build their population size and stability.
Mating and Courtship
As large birds that mate for life, sandhill and whooping cranes have intricate courtship dances to bond with their mates. Their dances incorporate coordinated calls, gestures, and movements that are specific to each species.
Sandhill cranes perform an elegant and athletic dance as part of their mating ritual. The dance incorporates bowing, hopping, stick tossing, wing flapping, and synchronized calling. Cranes stand in shallow water across from their mate and go through sequences of moves in unison as a duet. The female mirrors the male’s moves.
Whooping cranes have a very different dance. Their moves are slower and more methodical, without the hopping and tossing. Together, the pair will bow their heads, spread their enormous wings, hop up, and call back and forth. This dance cements the lifelong pair bond.
Mated crane pairs reproduce each year from ages 3-4 and onward. They share parenting duties such as nest building, incubating eggs, and feeding chicks. Cranes are very loyal and stay with the same mate year after year until one dies. Then the survivor will find a new long-term mate.
Through these dances, pairs communicate, strengthen bonds, and show excitement about nesting season. The ritualized moves may also help assess the partner’s health and fitness. Each species learned dances adapted for their environments that help get the timing and coordination exactly right.
Conservation Status
The most stark difference between sandhill and whooping cranes is their conservation status. Sandhill cranes are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to their extremely large and growing population. They live across such a huge range and in so many subpopulations that their long-term survival is not threatened.
In contrast, whooping cranes are classified as Endangered both globally and under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Due to overhunting and habitat loss, only 15 whooping cranes existed in the world by 1941. Thanks to ongoing conservation programs, their numbers now stand around 825 across 4 reintroduced flocks and 1 natural migratory population.
But whooping cranes are still endangered by their limited genetic diversity and reliance on a core breeding site in Wood Buffalo National Park and wintering habitat on Aransas NWR. Continued efforts to bolster their population, reintroduce new flocks, and protect habitat are needed, but their numbers are slowly increasing.
The sandhill crane’s broad abundance provides resilience, while whooping cranes remain vulnerable. Targeted conservation action pulled whoopers back from the brink of extinction, though challenges remain for full recovery.
Species | Conservation Status |
---|---|
Sandhill Crane | Least Concern |
Whooping Crane | Endangered |
Evolution and Taxonomy
Sandhill and whooping cranes belong to the diverse, globally distributed family of cranes, Gruidae. Cranes are an ancient lineage related to rails that dates back at least 60 million years to the late Cretaceous period based on fossil evidence.
The 15 crane species alive today represent the last remnants of a once larger and more diverse family. Cranes evolved in both the Old World and North America. The remaining North American species, sandhills and whoopers, are most closely related to the Eurasian crane genus.
Sandhill cranes are divided into 6 subspecies: lesser, greater, Mississippi, Cuban, Florida, and Canadian sandhill cranes. They form a superspecies with the Eurasian crane. Whooping cranes have just one surviving subspecies, though an extinct population in Louisiana was genetically distinct.
The two species likely diverged from a common ancestor in North America several million years ago. Sandhill cranes retained the smaller, original body size and gray plumage. Whooping cranes evolved to a larger size and white plumage as they adapted to a particular wetland niche.
Both species nearly went extinct by the early 20th century due to unregulated hunting and habitat loss. But sandhill cranes rebounded in the millions while whooping cranes require ongoing conservation management. Their populations represent two very different conservation trajectories.
Unique Behaviors
Beyond their physical differences, sandhill and whooping cranes exhibit some subtly different behaviors reflective of their environments.
Sandhill cranes are known for their loud, trumpeting calls that carry for miles. These calls help scattered pairs and family groups stay in contact and coordinate migration timing as flocks. Whooping cranes make similar loud calls but at a lower pitch better suited for forested wetlands.
Whooping cranes sometimes paint their feathers with iron oxide mud, which stains them a rusty brown color. While the purpose isn’t fully known, scientists think this may provide camouflage while the cranes are molting or protect feathers from parasites. Sandhill cranes do not display this “painting” behavior.
When feeding, sandhill cranes are more generalized and opportunistic across their broad range. They forage readily in agricultural fields and take advantage of whatever food is abundant seasonally, switching between plants and animals.
Whooping cranes are more selective, targeting freshwater wetlands with specific favorite foods like blue crabs, crayfish, and berries. Their picky eating habits may limit their range expansion potential. Sandhill cranes are not as picky and live successfully across diverse habitats.
Threats and Conservation
The massive population difference between the species is largely due to differences in conservation pressures.
Sandhill cranes rebounded well once hunting was banned and some protected habitats secured. They are not overly dependent on specific breeding or wintering sites. Their high reproductive rate and dispersal ability allowed them to rapidly recolonize former habitat, despite ongoing wetland losses.
In contrast, whooping cranes suffered incredibly from hunting and the drainage of freshwater marshes in their small breeding range. By 1941, only 21 cranes existed. Their specialized needs and low reproductive rate made it difficult to rebuild populations, even once protected. They rely entirely on a few key sites.
Current threats to sandhill cranes include collisions with power lines, continued habitat loss on migration routes, and disease outbreaks. But their abundant numbers provide resiliency.
For whooping cranes, ongoing threats include loss of wetlands, collisions during migration, pollution, climate change drying out marshes, and storms damaging winter habitat. Conservationists are working to secure habitats, increase population size, and establish new flocks across the species’ former range.
Summary of Key Differences
In summary, the major differences that distinguish sandhill cranes from whooping cranes include:
- Size – Sandhills are smaller while whoopers are the tallest North American crane
- Plumage – Sandhills are grayish overall with some red, while whooping cranes are stark white with black wingtips
- Range – Sandhill cranes live across North America, while whooping crane range is extremely limited and fragmented
- Population – Sandhill cranes number over 600,000 and are abundant, while whooping cranes number around only 500 in their one remaining natural flock
- Habitat – Sandhills use diverse wetland types, while whoopers rely on a narrow range of wetlands
- Behavior – Sandhill calls and foraging are more generalized, while whooping crane behavior is more specialized and limited
- Conservation – Sandhill populations are thriving, while whoopers remain endangered and rely on intensive management for survival
While unique and distinctive, the two species overlap as large cranes adapted to North American wetlands. Ongoing conservation efforts aim to secure a future for the rare and unique whooping crane alongside widespread sandhill crane populations. Careful management of wetland habitats can help support the recovery of whooping cranes while also benefiting sandhills.
Conclusion
Sandhill cranes and whooping cranes have several key physical differences but overlap ecologically as large wetland birds. Sandhills are smaller and grayish, while whoopers are tall and white. More importantly, sandhill cranes have recovered to number over 600,000 across North America. In contrast, whooping cranes nearly went extinct and their last natural population sits around 500, requiring active conservation management.
Both species fill important roles in wetland ecosystems, but the endangered whooping crane remains dependent on protected breeding habitats and migratory stopover sites. Ongoing conservation efforts aim to gradually recover whooping crane populations while celebrating the success story of sandhill cranes rebounding after overhunting. Their differences highlight the importance of specialized conservation care for endangered species, even those that share habitats with thriving close relatives. Careful management of wetlands can aid the recovery of whooping cranes while supporting abundant sandhill crane populations.