Sandhill cranes are large birds that live in open wetland habitats across North America. They are known for their impressive courtship dances and loud, rattling calls. Sandhill cranes migrate long distances between their breeding and wintering grounds each year. Understanding where they live throughout the year can help efforts to conserve this iconic species.
Breeding Range
Sandhill cranes breed across wide swaths of North America. There are three subspecies of sandhill cranes, each with a distinct breeding range:
- Greater sandhill cranes breed across the northern United States and Canada, from Oregon east to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, and north into the Northwest Territories and Alaska.
- Lesser sandhill cranes breed from northeastern California east to New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming, and north to southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.
- Canadian sandhill cranes, the smallest subspecies, breed in Alaska and the MacKenzie River Delta region of the Northwest Territories in Canada.
Within these broad ranges, sandhill cranes seek out suitable wetland habitats for nesting. They prefer shallow freshwater marshes, wet prairies, wet meadows and river valleys. Their nests are built of plant material directly on the ground in or near water.
Wintering Range
During winter, sandhill cranes migrate from their far-flung breeding grounds to more concentrated areas in the southern United States and Mexico. The winter ranges of the three subspecies are:
- Greater sandhill cranes winter in south-central Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, as well as along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas.
- Lesser sandhill cranes gather primarily in southeastern Arizona, central New Mexico and northern Mexico.
- Canadian sandhill cranes winter almost exclusively in New Mexico and southeastern Arizona.
Within these regions, sandhill cranes congregate in large numbers at certain wildlife refuges and ranchlands where they roost at night in shallow wetlands and forage in grasslands, agricultural fields and wet meadows.
Migration
Sandhill cranes migrate incredible distances, up to thousands of miles, between their breeding and wintering grounds. In spring and fall, these long-legged birds form large flocks and stop to rest and feed at various wetlands along their migration corridors. Major migration stopover sites include:
- Spring migration: Nebraska’s Platte River, Oklahoma’s Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, Idaho’s Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge
- Fall migration: Montana’s Centennial Valley along the Continental Divide, New Mexico’s Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
By migrating in stages with large numbers of other cranes, they can more safely and efficiently travel these immense distances. It is an amazing wildlife spectacle to see huge flocks of sandhill cranes migrating through the sky.
Year-Round Range Map
This map shows the breeding, wintering, and migration ranges of sandhill cranes throughout North America:
As the map illustrates, sandhill cranes occupy broad swaths of the continent during summer breeding and more restricted areas in winter. Their migratory journeys take them through the Great Plains and western regions of North America.
Rare Vagrants
Most sandhill cranes follow their predictable migration paths between established breeding and wintering grounds. However, individual cranes occasionally show up well outside of their normal ranges. These rare vagrant sightings occur when a crane gets separated from its flock and joins a different migratory population.
For example, sandhill cranes have been spotted as vagrant individuals or pairs in coastal areas like Vancouver Island, San Francisco Bay, the Florida Gulf Coast, and even the Hawaiian Islands. While exciting for birdwatchers to observe, these lost cranes often do not survive long outside of their regular habitat and migratory routes.
Conservation
Understanding and protecting the habitats where sandhill cranes live and breed is crucial for conservation. Their populations suffered sharp declines in the early 1900s due to hunting and wetland drainage. Conservation measures helped sandhill cranes rebound through the 1900s.
While no longer endangered, sandhill cranes face ongoing habitat loss and could suffer if migratory stopover sites are degraded. Conservation groups work to safeguard important wetlands, manage wildlife refuges, limit disturbances, and maintain river flows to support sandhill crane populations into the future.
Conclusion
Sandhill cranes are majestic birds that make phenomenal migrations across North America each year. Their breeding habitats stretch across the northern U.S. and Canada, while their wintering grounds are concentrated in the southwest U.S. and Mexico. By migrating in stages through the Great Plains, sandhill cranes complete round-trip journeys of thousands of miles. Protecting their wetland habitats across this vast range is key to ensuring the future of these spectacular cranes.