Educational Corner: Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)

The sandhill crane is a 4-foot-tall gray bird of open grasslands, meadows and wetlands. It is a fairly social bird that congregates in huge numbers during migration. Breeding is in open marshes or bogs and in wet grasslands and meadows. Its nest is a large mound of vegetation in water, either floating or attached to other vegetation. They do not breed until they are 2 to 7 years old. Mated pairs stay together year-round and migrate south with their offspring. They feed in marshes and fields, eating mostly grains and seeds, insects and small vertebrates.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Gruidae

Facts:

• The oldest sandhill crane fossil is 2.5 million years old.

• A sandhill crane can live approximately 20 years.

• A 5- to 7-foot wingspan allows the birds to soar in a similar fashion to hawks and eagles, staying aloft for many hours expending little energy.