Are Sandhill Cranes Federally Protected?
What are the threats to Sandhill Cranes?
How many sandhill cranes are there in the wild?
How rare is it to see sandhill cranes?
Which state has the most sandhill cranes?
Which country has the most sandhill cranes?
Is it illegal to kill sandhill cranes?
Thousands of sandhill cranes arrive at a staging station along the Platte River during their spring migration to their northern breeding grounds. With numbers like these, it’s hard to imagine them being considered endangered.
But are all sandhill crane populations and habitats threatened? We’ll be answering these questions and more below, so stay tuned with us!
Sandhill cranes are considered the least concern in the wild. Despite the threats of habitat loss and development encroaching on the land where these majestic long-necked waders feed and breed, their numbers are steadily increasing.
However, two subspecies of sandhill cranes, the Mississippi Sandhill Crane (Antigone, Canada) and Cuban sandhill cranes (Antigone, Canada) – Listed as a critically endangered species whose populations depend on captive-reared birds to ensure the species’ survival.
Overall, sandhill cranes are listed as the species of least concern
Sandhill cranes may also be affected by water scarcity, climate change, and land use change. However, the species has a strong tradition of survival and adaptation to North American landscapes.
Fossils nearly identical to modern sandhill cranes from the Miocene epoch have been unearthed 10 million years ago, offering encouragement for the species’ long-term future.
Read on to learn more about the conservation status of sandhill cranes, and where to head for the best chance of witnessing an unforgettable mass migration.
Are Sandhill Cranes Federally Protected?
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 provided sandhill cranes with federal protections, meaning it was illegal to kill, capture or injure one without a special permit. However, in 16 U.S. states, hunting sandhill cranes is legal during limited hunting seasons as long as the necessary permits are obtained.
Florida’s sandhill crane population receives additional protection under the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, established in 1974, to protect the species from hunting.
It is illegal to kill, capture or injure sandhill cranes unless you have a special license
What are the threats to Sandhill Cranes?
Sandhill cranes face a number of threats to their continued survival in the wild, including habitat loss to development and loss of wetlands due to increased or altered agricultural activity on surrounding lands.
A specific habitat is needed to support sandhill cranes, and it needs to be suitable for both foraging and roosting. Their overnight habitat is shallow wetlands, and their daytime feeding grounds are mainly cultivated land.
The two perches need to be close to each other so birds can easily access them. But urban sprawl and land use change are additional challenges to address.
Grain fields converted to vineyards, for example, pose a risk to cranes because their wide wingspans make it difficult to take off and land when vegetation is tightly packed.
Habitat loss is one of the greatest threats to sandhill cranes due to changes in agricultural activity on surrounding land
How many sandhill cranes are there in the wild?
Wetlands International estimates the global sandhill crane population in 2020 to be between 670,000 and 830,000 individuals, including approximately 450,000 to 550,000 breeding-age birds.
How rare is it to see sandhill cranes?
If the time is right, you can see large numbers of sandhill cranes during their annual spring migration. More than half a million of these giant waders congregate along the Platte River in Nebraska, a spectacle considered one of the most memorable and beautiful natural displays of wildlife.
From February to early April, Sandhill Cranes travel across the Great Plains region of the central United States to their northernmost breeding grounds in Canada, Alaska and the Great Lakes region.
They stop in flocks at a key transit point, where thousands of birds congregate along the 128-kilometre (80-mile) stretch of the Platte River. Kearney, Nebraska is sometimes called the “Sandhill Crane Capital of the World,” so heading there in the spring is almost guaranteed to be an unforgettable sight!
At other times of the year, depending on geographic location, it can be difficult to see sandhill cranes. In some parts of the country, there are no cranes – either migratory or resident.
Autumn migrations are also less impressive than spring migrations, and the birds don’t stay for as long, so don’t attract as many birds at once to such an impressive effect.
For more information on Sandhill Crane Habitat, check out this guide.
Sandhill Cranes perched on the Platte River at sunset during spring migration
Which state has the most sandhill cranes?
When it comes to provisional counts of sandhill crane populations, Nebraska wins out, with generous estimates that as many as 700,000 birds transit the state during spring and fall migrations.
As far as resident birds go, Florida is home to as many as 5,000 sandhill cranes year-round, joined by as many as 25,000 migratory birds each winter.
States with large crane breeding populations include Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Popular winter destinations to visit cranes include Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas.
Adult sandhill cranes with juveniles in the forest
Which country has the most sandhill cranes?
Sandhill cranes are widespread across Canada and the United States, with populations extending south as far as Mexico and northeast to the extreme edge of northeastern Siberia, Russia.
Most sandhill cranes breed in Canada, with an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 breeding birds raising their young during the spring and summer months.
If you consider the number of migratory birds, the United States can be called the country with the largest number of sandhill cranes. Every spring and autumn, at least 500,000 birds stop at the staging area along the Platte River in Nebraska.
Some estimates put the number higher, at more than 700,000 birds, in the state for at least a few days or weeks.
Three Sandhill Cranes in flight
Is it illegal to kill sandhill cranes?
Sixteen states in the U.S. allow hunting of sandhill cranes as a way to control populations and protect crops. Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, New Mexico, North and South Dakota, Texas, Utah states and Wyoming, are required by law to obtain a managed hunting season.
Hunting of two subspecies of sandhill cranes considered endangered, the Mississippi population and the Cuban population, is prohibited.
The Florida subpopulation is listed as threatened by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and is protected by law from being hunted, killed, or captured.
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I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
