Sandhill Crane – Grus canadensis

This is a large wading bird of the Gruidae family.

Adults are almost entirely gray during the breeding season. It has red forehead, white cheeks and a long dark pointed beak. Its long dark legs hang in the air and its long neck is held right in flight. Immature has red top and gray belly. Both sexes are similar. The size varies in different subspecies. It is the only large gray bird in North America outside of the Great Blue Heron.

As an adult, it has a wingspan of 2 to 2.5 m making it a bird that can soar like hawks and eagles. They devour the young of other species, such as ducks, especially when they raise their youngs.

It migrates south for the winter. We find them in North America, Cuba and the extreme northeast of Siberia.

Like many birds, this species is threatened.