Sandhill Cranes
Sandhill cranes are a one of the 15 known species of crane birds. They are usually around 4ft tall when theyre fully grown. Their wingspan can be 6 - 7 ft wide and live 20 to 40 years on average. They fly anywhere from 25 - 35 mph.
Nesting
The cranes usually lay their eggs in a swamp/wetland type of area and use the surrounding vegitation and matirals to make their nest. this means thing like (cat tails, burr reeds, bulrushes, grasses, and sticks.) Their nests are usually about 30 - 40 inches across and 4 -6 inches of height and are built over water. both mates work together to build their nest. Sandhills also mate for life.
Once the eggs are laid, theres usually 1 - 3 of them but its sadly rare that all of them survive, the eggs are a pale brown color, and incubate for about 30 days before hatching.
When the babies hatch they are already active with open eyes.
Mating
Sandill cranes mate for life. The females choose their partners usually while migrating. Males jump and leap in the air, strech their wings, and bow their heads hoping to catch someones attention. When their eggs hatch the couple and their chick stay together all through fall and winter until the juvenile is about 9 or 10 months old before it seperats from its parents.
Migration
Sandhills begin their migration is early spring. They migrate from places like canada and alaska, and siberia, and and fly all the way to nebraska to stay on the platte river. But overall they can be found in colorado, new mexico, montana, illinos, and indiana as well. In nebraska, They usually reach here anywhere from late febuary to mid april, the end of march being the peak to see them, when the most have arrived.
Sandhills migrate in large groups and there is usually around 500,000 counted a year. This year in 2025 the crane trust of nebraska's team counted 726,000. An all time high.
While staying on the platte they usually use the area as a resting place and a bit of a vacation. They sleep in the river at night and stay put unill a little after sunrise before going off to explore, they usually can be found in big groups gathered in corn feild of the sides of roads. They snack on whatever they can find in the dead feilds, such as leftover corn, cornhusks, and bugs. But once it starts getting late they return to river and can find small animals or weeds to eat. They hang out with rest of their group to walk around, do their mating dances, and eat.
Other Behaviors and Fun Facts
- Sandhill cranes attack predators by jumping in the air with their legs extended to kick.
- cranes are some of the oldest birds that still live on the planet. A crowned crane (a reletive to the sandhills) was found in the ashfall fossil beds in nebraska. It was estimated to be around 10 million years old.
There are many viewing and conservation groups in nebraska such as the Crane Trust and the Rowe Sanctuary. They have great locations to see the cranes when they are migrating to NE, rowe sanctuary has several walking trails that are on the platte.
