---
title: "Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "A red-capped crane that duets with its mate and sleeps standing in the shallows."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/sandhill-crane-1.webp"
published: "2026-10-10"
updated: "2026-10-11"
---
# Sandhill Crane (*Antigone canadensis*)
> **Status**: Checked against 5 sources, listed under Sources below.
> **Tagline**: A red-capped crane that duets with its mate and sleeps standing in the shallows.
> **Soundtrack Vibe**: Classic Funk, Soul & Disco // Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
> **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/7tqhbajSfrz2F7E1Z75ASX)
> **Vibe Match**: A mated pair of sandhill cranes stands close together and calls in unison, a duet that strengthens the pair bond. This song is built as a duet too: two voices trade lines and then sing together, each promising to come when the other calls.
## Biological Superpowers & Stats
- **Taxonomy**: *Antigone canadensis*
- **Danger Level**: Medium
- **Conservation Status**: Least Concern ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-3.rlts.t22692078a188597759.en))
- **Superpower**: Mated pairs call in unison, a loud rattling trumpet duet
- **Habitat**: Prairies, swamps, farm fields and river valleys, plus marshy tundra in the far north
- **Diet**: Seeds, berries, roots and grain, plus rodents, snails, insects, frogs and lizards
- **Tags**: bird, omnivore, wetlands, migratory, display
## Natural History & Behavior
## A duet that locks a pair together
A mated sandhill crane pair stands close together and calls at the same moment. The sound is a rattling trumpet, and it can be quite loud. The International Crane Foundation calls this unison duet a way to strengthen the pair bond and protect their territory. Courtship has its own display: once a male has found a potential mate, he performs a dance of head bobbing and jumping in the air.
> **Ancient lineage**
> Fossil records show that sandhill cranes have been around for nearly 2.5 million years.
## Tall and grey, with a red forehead
Adults stand 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 meters) tall and weigh 7 to 11 pounds (3 to 5 kilograms), with a wingspan of 5.5 to 6.5 feet. They are grey with some tan body feathers, a long pointed beak, a bright red patch on the forehead and long legs that trail behind them in flight. The International Crane Foundation gives a wider 3 to 6.5 kilograms and notes that body size varies by subspecies.
They can live 20 years or more, according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo, and AnAge lists a wild record of 36.6 years.
## From tundra to the Bosque del Apache
The two migratory subspecies breed across the northern United States and Canada and in eastern Siberia, then winter in the southern United States and northern Mexico. Three non-migratory subspecies have small ranges in the southern United States and Cuba. Across all of that, sandhill cranes are usually found in open country near water: prairies, swamps, farm fields, river valleys and, in the far north, marshy tundra.
They often winter together in huge flocks. Some wintering grounds, such as the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, hold up to 10,000 birds. Their large wingspan allows them to soar, conserving energy by coasting along thermal updrafts (rising columns of warm air) instead of flapping constantly. Young cranes fly with their parents during migration and need nine to 10 months of close care before they live on their own.
## What they eat, and a comeback
Sandhill cranes are omnivores. Seeds, berries and roots are common food, along with crops such as corn and wheat grains, depending on availability. They also take rodents, snails, insects, frogs, lizards and nestling birds, probing with their pointed beaks in marshy ground. Unlike herons, they rarely wade into open water to hunt fish. Most sleep standing on one leg in shallow water, heads and necks tucked under their shoulders.
Sandhill cranes were once nearly extinct east of the Mississippi River, and their populations have rebounded. The International Crane Foundation estimates about 1,460,000 birds, give or take 230,000, with an increasing trend, and the Red List rates the species Least Concern. Some subspecies are still in trouble: the Mississippi sandhill crane is listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act.
## Frequently Asked Questions
### How big is a sandhill crane?
The International Crane Foundation lists roughly 80 to 120 centimeters (3 to 5 feet) tall and 3 to 6.5 kilograms (6.5 to 14 pounds). It notes that body size varies by subspecies. *(Source: [International Crane Foundation, Species Field Guide]())*
### How old can a sandhill crane get?
The longevity database AnAge gives a maximum of 36.6 years for a wild sandhill crane. It also notes that breeding normally begins at about age 5. *(Source: [AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources]())*
### Are sandhill cranes endangered?
Not as a species. The International Crane Foundation lists its IUCN status as Least Concern and estimates about 1,460,000 birds, with an increasing trend. Two non-migratory subspecies, the Mississippi and the Cuban sandhill cranes, are listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act. *(Source: [International Crane Foundation, Species Field Guide]())*
### Can baby sandhill cranes walk right away?
Almost. The Smithsonian's National Zoo says chicks hatch with their eyes open and can walk and leave the nest a day later. Flying takes about two months. *(Source: [Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute]())*
## Sources
1. [Grus canadensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22692078A188597759.]()
2. [Sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis). Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.]()
3. [Sandhill Crane. International Crane Foundation, Species Field Guide.]()
4. [AnAge entry for Grus canadensis. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.]()
5. [Sandhill Cranes. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.]()
*Published October 10, 2026. Last updated October 11, 2026.*
```json
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@graph": [
{
"@type": "Article",
"@id": "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/sandhill-crane/#article",
"isPartOf": {
"@id": "https://animaltracks.wiki/#website"
},
"headline": "Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) | AnimalTracks.wiki",
"description": "A red-capped crane that duets with its mate and sleeps standing in the shallows.",
"image": [
"https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/sandhill-crane-1.webp"
],
"datePublished": "2026-10-10",
"dateModified": "2026-10-11",
"author": [
{
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "AnimalTracks.wiki Editorial Team",
"url": "https://animaltracks.wiki"
}
],
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"@id": "https://animaltracks.wiki/#organization",
"name": "AnimalTracks.wiki",
"url": "https://animaltracks.wiki",
"logo": {
"@type": "ImageObject",
"url": "https://animaltracks.wiki/icon-512.png"
}
},
"mainEntityOfPage": "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/sandhill-crane/",
"citation": [
{
"@type": "ScholarlyArticle",
"name": "Grus canadensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22692078A188597759",
"url": "https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-3.rlts.t22692078a188597759.en",
"datePublished": "2021",
"isPartOf": {
"@type": "Periodical",
"name": "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species"
},
"identifier": "doi:10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-3.rlts.t22692078a188597759.en"
},
{
"@type": "CreativeWork",
"name": "Sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis)",
"url": "https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/sandhill-crane",
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute"
}
},
{
"@type": "CreativeWork",
"name": "Sandhill Crane",
"url": "https://savingcranes.org/species-field-guide/sandhill-crane/",
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "International Crane Foundation, Species Field Guide"
}
},
{
"@type": "CreativeWork",
"name": "AnAge entry for Grus canadensis",
"url": "https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Grus_canadensis",
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources"
}
},
{
"@type": "CreativeWork",
"name": "Sandhill Cranes",
"url": "https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/sandhill-cranes/",
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission"
}
}
],
"about": {
"@type": "Taxon",
"name": "Sandhill Crane",
"scientificName": "Antigone canadensis",
"description": "Mated pairs call in unison, a loud rattling trumpet duet"
}
},
{
"@type": "FAQPage",
"@id": "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/sandhill-crane/#faq",
"mainEntity": [
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "How big is a sandhill crane?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "The International Crane Foundation lists roughly 80 to 120 centimeters (3 to 5 feet) tall and 3 to 6.5 kilograms (6.5 to 14 pounds). It notes that body size varies by subspecies.",
"citation": {
"@type": "CreativeWork",
"name": "Sandhill Crane",
"url": "https://savingcranes.org/species-field-guide/sandhill-crane/",
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "International Crane Foundation, Species Field Guide"
}
}
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "How old can a sandhill crane get?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "The longevity database AnAge gives a maximum of 36.6 years for a wild sandhill crane. It also notes that breeding normally begins at about age 5.",
"citation": {
"@type": "CreativeWork",
"name": "AnAge entry for Grus canadensis",
"url": "https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Grus_canadensis",
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources"
}
}
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Are sandhill cranes endangered?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Not as a species. The International Crane Foundation lists its IUCN status as Least Concern and estimates about 1,460,000 birds, with an increasing trend. Two non-migratory subspecies, the Mississippi and the Cuban sandhill cranes, are listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act.",
"citation": {
"@type": "CreativeWork",
"name": "Sandhill Crane",
"url": "https://savingcranes.org/species-field-guide/sandhill-crane/",
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "International Crane Foundation, Species Field Guide"
}
}
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Can baby sandhill cranes walk right away?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Almost. The Smithsonian's National Zoo says chicks hatch with their eyes open and can walk and leave the nest a day later. Flying takes about two months.",
"citation": {
"@type": "CreativeWork",
"name": "Sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis)",
"url": "https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/sandhill-crane",
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute"
}
}
}
}
]
},
{
"@type": "MusicRecording",
"name": "Ain't No Mountain High Enough",
"byArtist": {
"@type": "MusicGroup",
"name": "Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell"
},
"genre": "Classic Funk, Soul & Disco",
"url": "https://open.spotify.com/track/7tqhbajSfrz2F7E1Z75ASX"
}
]
}
```