Sandhill Cranes : Voices of the Wetlands
Sandhill Cranes : Voices of the Wetlands
There’s something timeless about the call of a Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis). It’s a sound that echoes across marshes and open skies during migration. A loud repeated trumpeting or bugling that seems to belong to another age—because it does. Fossil records trace these birds back more than 2.5 million years.
Photo: A Sandhill crane as it warns the other cranes to be on the watch with a guard call.
Whoop! (Sandhill Crane) -- Click the photo to view available sizes and pricing.
The Crane with the Red Crown
Standing up to four feet tall with a wingspan stretching over six feet, the Sandhill Crane is one of are largest birds to visit Montana. Its slate-gray plumage is quickly transformed after arrival to a rust color by using iron-rich mud to preen. Their way to blend in to the surroundings as they enter into the nesting season. But it’s the splash of crimson on its crown and their unique call that truly set them apart.
Sandhill crane before mating season, sporting its grey plumage. 
Sandhill crane during mating season in Montana with the iron rich clay rubbed into its feathers.
Left Photo: Sandhill crane before mating season, sporting its grey plumage.
Right Photo: Sandhill crane during mating season in Montana with the iron rich clay rubbed into its feathers.
Where to Find Them
Sandhill Cranes migrate in massive flocks, some traveling thousands of miles between breeding grounds in Canada and the northern U.S., and wintering grounds in the southern U.S. and Mexico. The Platte River in Nebraska is one of the best-known stopovers—a spectacle in March where half a million cranes descend upon the valley. (https://www.cpnrd.org/conservation/crane-viewing/)
Another resting place on their migration path I have had the opportunity to visit is in Monte Vista, Colorado. Cranes travel through this area every spring and fall but for the best experience I recommend going during the Monte Vista Sandhill Crane Festival (https://mvcranefest.org/) held each year in March. But you can find smaller groups almost anywhere there’s wetland habitat or even in agricultural fields common in among many of our the North Western Sates where they find the food they need. Their diet consists mainly of plant material, including waste grain, roots, berries, and nuts with a side of insects and snails.
Photo: A group of cranes in motion. Taken at Monte Vista Sandhill Crane festival in 2018.
The Crane Dance
Cranes are monogamous and often mate for life (cranes often live 20+ years). They move with agility through the marshes and in the open fields near my home. Early morning drives on back roads in the heart of the agricultural areas in April is when I here the pairs calling in unison. If I am lucky, I may catch them engaging in an elaborate dance routine that includes bowing, wing-flapping, and high graceful leaps that seem to defy.
Top Photo: A pair of cranes reunite with a dance.
Bottom Left Photo: A crane practices its dance moves by watching its reflection in the water.
Bottom Right Photo: Cranes mate soon after arrival to their nesting area.
A Family Affair
Each spring, they raise a small clutch—usually two chicks—in a nest built with reeds in shallow water. Both parents share in the responsibility of incubating eggs and raising the colts. The young birds grow up fast. Taking their first steps to leave the nest within hours of hatching and first flights as soon as two months. All to ensure the colts have the greatest chance at survival.
Left Photo: Sandhill crane on its cattail nest near the Rocky Mountain Front of Montana.
Right Photo: A newly hatched colt is especially vulnerable to predators until it grows larger and learns to fly.
Deeper Meaning
Across many Native American traditions, Sandhill Cranes have symbolic meaning. They are often seen as messengers of hope, joy, and renewal. Their mating dances are viewed as expressions of happiness and the promise of new beginnings. Because these birds typically mate for life, they also represent devotion, loyalty, and enduring love. Some stories even speak of cranes bringing luck and prosperity to those who encounter them.
Photo: A sandhill crane was busy building a nest among the marsh reeds at Benton Lakes NWR.
Graceful Approach (Sandhill Crane) -- Click the photo to view available sizes and pricing.
Other Cranes and Conservation Notes
Fifteen species of cranes live across five continents, but sadly, most of them are in trouble. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN – https://iucn.org/), only five of those species are not considered “Threatened.” To me, that’s heartbreaking.
Here’s a visual breakdown from Wikipedia (as of 4/25/2025):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cranes
One bright spot is the Sandhill Crane—a species well known and loved by birders and nature enthusiasts across the U.S. it’s one of the few listed as “Least Concern.” While their populations are currently stable, Sandhills still face familiar threats: habitat loss, wetland drainage, and growing human encroachment.
The other crane species found in the U.S. is the Whooping Crane (Grus americana), a larger cousin of the Sandhill and the tallest bird in North America. Mostly white with a crimson crown (like the Sandhill) and striking black primary feathers mostly visible in flight. Though they migrate through Montana as part of their Texas-to-Canada route, they don’t nest here. These birds are endangered and need all the help they can get.
If you’re curious about how to support crane conservation, check out the Saving Cranes website. Groups like this are doing crucial work—protecting migration routes, preserving nesting areas, and raising public awareness. https://savingcranes.org/
That’s all for now—heading out early and often this month to catch birds in the act of courtship (camera in hand, of course). I will see you back next month once I filled a few memory cards.
For the love all things wild,
Lea Frye - Wildlife photographer
Photo: Silhouette of Sandhill Cranes during migration.
www.leaf-images.com | Lea Frye, Wildlife Photographer | Helena, MT
Wild Animals / Wild Landscapes