About Grus canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Adults of Grus canadensis, the sandhill crane, are gray overall. During the breeding season, their plumage is usually much worn and stained, particularly in migratory populations, and appears nearly ochre. The average weight of larger males is 4.57 kg (10.1 lb), while the average weight of females is 4.02 kg (8.9 lb). Across all subspecies, total body weight ranges from 2.7 to 6.7 kg (6.0 to 14.8 lb). Sandhill cranes have red foreheads, white cheeks, and long, dark, pointed bills. When in flight, their long, dark legs trail behind the body, and their long necks are held straight. Immature birds have reddish-brown upperparts and gray underparts. Juveniles do not have the species' characteristic red foreheads, which makes it possible to distinguish young birds from their parents even when they are the same height. The sexes have identical appearance. Size varies across the different subspecies of this species. The typical height of sandhill cranes ranges from around 80 to 136 cm (2 ft 7 in to 4 ft 6 in). Their wing chords are typically 41.8–60.0 cm (16.5–23.6 in), tails are 10.0–26.4 cm (3.9–10.4 in), exposed culmens measure 6.9–16 cm (2.7–6.3 in) long, and tarsi measure 15.5–26.6 cm (6.1–10.5 in). One recorded wingspan is 200 cm (78.7 in); typical wingspans range from 1.65 to 2.30 m (5 ft 5 in to 7 ft 7 in). These cranes frequently produce a loud, trumpeting call that sounds like a rolled 'r' in the throat, and their calls can be heard from long distances. Mated pairs of sandhill cranes perform what is called 'unison calling'. The pairs stand close together and call in a synchronized, complex duet, with the female giving two calls for every one call the male produces. Their large wingspans make sandhill cranes very skilled soaring birds, with a soaring style similar to hawks and eagles. They use thermals to gain lift, so they can stay aloft for many hours, only needing to flap their wings occasionally, which means they expend very little energy. Migratory flocks can include hundreds of birds, and the flocks can create clear visible outlines of the normally invisible rising columns of warm air (thermals) that they ride. Sandhill cranes migrate south to spend the winter. In their wintering grounds, they form flocks that can number over 10,000 individuals. One location where this large flocking occurs is Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, which lies 100 miles (160 km) south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. An annual Sandhill Crane Festival is held at this refuge every November.
