---
title: "What the sources say about the Sandhill Crane | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "50 claims from the Sandhill Crane profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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# What the sources say about the Sandhill Crane (*Antigone canadensis*)

> 50 claims from the Sandhill Crane profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Sandhill Crane](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/sandhill-crane/)

## Grus canadensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22692078A188597759.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-3.rlts.t22692078a188597759.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Least Concern | Year of last assessment
2021
IUCN Red List category (note: #1229: BirdLife is the Red List authority for birds, and its Data Zone factsheet (the reference's fullText) carries the 2020 assessment published in 2021 (10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-3.rlts.t22692078a188597759.en): "For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern." Hand-cached from the page as rendered in Chrome, since the factsheet is drawn by JavaScript) |
| the Red List rates the species Least Concern | Year of last assessment
2021
IUCN Red List category (note: #1229: BirdLife is the Red List authority for birds, and its Data Zone factsheet (the reference's fullText) carries the 2020 assessment published in 2021 (10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-3.rlts.t22692078a188597759.en): "For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern." Hand-cached from the page as rendered in Chrome, since the factsheet is drawn by JavaScript) |

## Sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis). Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/sandhill-crane

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A red-capped crane that duets with its mate and sleeps standing in the shallows. | both sexes have a bright red patch on their head (note: tagline; duet and sleeping claimed below) |
| Prairies, swamps, farm fields and river valleys, plus marshy tundra in the far north | They live in prairies, swamps, agricultural fields, river valleys, and (note: stats.habitat; marshy tundra claim next) |
| marshy tundra in the far north | in the northernmost parts of their range (note: habitat tundra) |
| Seeds, berries, roots and grain, plus rodents, snails, insects, frogs and lizards | Seeds, berries and roots are common food items, and, depending on availability, crop plants like corn and wheat grains. They will also eat small animals like rodents, snails, insects, frogs, lizards and nestling birds (note: stats.diet) |
| Mated pairs call in unison, a loud rattling trumpet duet | They are best known for their rattling trumpet call, which can be quite loud. When mated, males and females will stand close together and make this call in unison. (note: stats.superpower) |
| 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. | They are best known for their rattling trumpet call, which can be quite loud. When mated, males and females will stand close together and make this call in unison. |
| once a male has found a potential mate, he performs a dance of head bobbing and jumping in the air | Once they have identified a potential mate, males will perform a courtship dance, which involves bobbing their heads and jumping in the air |
| Fossil records show that sandhill cranes have been around for nearly 2.5 million years. | Fossil records show that sandhill cranes have been around for nearly 2.5 million years. |
| 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. | Adults have impressive wingspans, ranging from 5.5 feet to 6.5 feet from tip to tip. They stand 3 to 4 feet (0.9-1.2 meters) tall, and weigh between 7 and 11 pounds (3-5 kilograms). |
| 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. | Overall gray in color with some tan body feathers, both sexes have a bright red patch on their head and white patches on their cheeks. They have long, pointed beaks, which are dark gray on color. They have long, gray legs, which trail behind them during flight. (note: leg colour dropped: Smithsonian says gray, ICF says black; forehead from ICF 'red patch on forehead' and Smithsonian 'bright red forehead') |
| They can live 20 years or more, according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo | These birds can live for 20 years or more. |
| sandhill cranes are usually found in open country near water: prairies, swamps, farm fields, river valleys | Sandhill cranes are normally found in open areas near water. They live in prairies, swamps, agricultural fields, river valleys |
| 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. | often winter together in huge flocks. Some wintering grounds, like the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, hold up to 10,000 individuals. |
| Their large wingspan allows them to soar, conserving energy by coasting along thermal updrafts | Their large wingspan allows them to soar, conserving energy by coasting along thermal updrafts (note: the parenthetical gloss on thermals is a definition, not a sourced claim) |
| Young cranes fly with their parents during migration and need nine to 10 months of close care before they live on their own. | the chicks need nine to 10 months of close parental care before they are ready to live on their own. Young sandhill cranes fly with their parents during migration. |
| Sandhill cranes are omnivores. | Sandhill cranes are omnivorous. |
| Seeds, berries and roots are common food, along with crops such as corn and wheat grains, depending on availability. | Seeds, berries and roots are common food items, and, depending on availability, crop plants like corn and wheat grains. |
| They also take rodents, snails, insects, frogs, lizards and nestling birds, probing with their pointed beaks in marshy ground. | They will also eat small animals like rodents, snails, insects, frogs, lizards and nestling birds. They use their pointed beaks to probe for food in marshy areas. |
| Unlike herons, they rarely wade into open water to hunt fish. | unlike herons, they rarely wade into open water and hunt for fish |
| Most sleep standing on one leg in shallow water, heads and necks tucked under their shoulders. | Most sleep standing on one leg in shallow water with their heads and necks tucked under their shoulders. |
| Sandhill cranes were once nearly extinct east of the Mississippi River, and their populations have rebounded. | Once nearly extinct east of the Mississippi River, their populations have rebounded |
| chicks hatch with their eyes open and can walk and leave the nest a day later | Chicks are born with their eyes open and covered in downy feathers. They are ready to walk and leave the nest a day after hatching (note: faq4) |
| Flying takes about two months. | capable of flying after about two months (note: faq4) |
| Almost. | They are ready to walk and leave the nest a day after hatching (note: faq4 framing) |
| A mated pair of sandhill cranes stands close together and calls in unison | They are best known for their rattling trumpet call, which can be quite loud. When mated, males and females will stand close together and make this call in unison. (note: vibe.reason) |

## Sandhill Crane. International Crane Foundation, Species Field Guide.

https://savingcranes.org/species-field-guide/sandhill-crane/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The International Crane Foundation calls this unison duet a way to strengthen the pair bond and protect their territory. | Unison Calls \| A duet performed by a pair, to strengthen their bond and protect their territory. |
| notes that body size varies by subspecies | body size varies by subspecies (note: body; weight range claimed next) |
| 3 to 6.5 kilograms | WEIGHT: ~ 3 – 6.5 kg, 6.5 – 14 lbs |
| 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. | The two migratory subspecies (Lesser and Greater) are distributed across a broad breeding range in the northern U.S. and Canada as well as eastern Siberia, with wintering grounds in the southern United States and northern Mexico. |
| Three non-migratory subspecies have small ranges in the southern United States and Cuba. | The three non-migratory subspecies (Mississippi, Cuban and Florida) have restricted ranges in the southern United States and Cuba. |
| The International Crane Foundation estimates about 1,460,000 birds, give or take 230,000, with an increasing trend | POPULATION: 1,460,000 ±230,000
TREND: Increasing (note: the ICF page gives no year for the estimate) |
| the Mississippi sandhill crane is listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act | ssp. pulla: Cites Appendix I & ESA: E (note: pulla = Mississippi per the SPECIES line: Grus c. pulla – Mississippi) |
| Mississippi | Grus c. pulla – Mississippi (note: subspecies mapping) |
| Cuban | ssp. nesiotes: Cites Appendix I & ESA: E (note: nesiotes = Cuban: 'Grus c. nesiotes – Cuban') |
| roughly 80 to 120 centimeters (3 to 5 feet) tall and 3 to 6.5 kilograms (6.5 to 14 pounds) | HEIGHT: ~ 80 – 120 cm, 3 – 5 ft
WEIGHT: ~ 3 – 6.5 kg, 6.5 – 14 lbs (note: faq1) |
| 1,460,000 | POPULATION: 1,460,000 ±230,000
TREND: Increasing (note: faq3 population; body) |
| increasing | POPULATION: 1,460,000 ±230,000
TREND: Increasing (note: faq3 trend) |
| Least Concern | Least Concern
Sandhill Crane (note: faq3 ICF rating; the page header and STATUS: IUCN: LC) |
| Two non-migratory subspecies, the Mississippi and the Cuban sandhill cranes, are listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act. | ssp. pulla: Cites Appendix I & ESA: E; ssp. nesiotes: Cites Appendix I & ESA: E (note: faq3; pulla = Mississippi, nesiotes = Cuban (SPECIES line); non-migratory: Mississippi, Cuban and Florida are the three non-migratory subspecies) |
| 3 to 6.5 kilograms | WEIGHT: ~ 3 – 6.5 kg, 6.5 – 14 lbs (note: body: wider than the Smithsonian's 3 to 5) |
| Two non-migratory subspecies | The three non-migratory subspecies (Mississippi, Cuban and Florida) (note: Mississippi and Cuban are two of the three) |
| body size varies by subspecies | body size varies by subspecies (note: faq1) |
| a duet that strengthens the pair bond | Unison Calls \| A duet performed by a pair, to strengthen their bond and protect their territory. (note: vibe.reason) |

## AnAge entry for Grus canadensis. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Grus_canadensis

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| AnAge lists a wild record of 36.6 years. | Maximum longevity
36.6 years (wild) |
| maximum of 36.6 years for a wild sandhill crane | Maximum longevity
36.6 years (wild) (note: faq2) |
| breeding normally begins at about age 5 | breeding normally only begins at about age 5 (note: faq2) |
| weightKg: 3.9 | Adult weight 3,890 g (note: battleStats.weightKg, typical adult (#1117)) |

## Sandhill Cranes. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/sandhill-cranes/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| dangerLevel: Medium | These “habituated” cranes may approach people closely and even grab food out of a person’s hand. In rare instances, cranes have been reported pecking people. (note: #1229: Medium is 'Can injure, but rarely seriously'. FWC reports rare pecking of people by cranes that have been fed; no source reports a serious injury) |