Sandhill cranes are large birds that live in open wetland habitats across North America. They are most commonly found in the central and western United States and Canada during their breeding season, and migrate south to spend the winter in southern U.S. states like Texas, New Mexico and Arizona as well as parts of northern Mexico. Sandhill cranes prefer grasslands, prairies, marshes, meadows and agricultural fields that are close to shallow lakes, rivers or wetlands where they can forage and nest. Their habitat ranges can be quite large depending on the season and population of cranes. Overall, the central Great Plains states, the western U.S., southern Canada and northern Mexico host the majority of sandhill crane populations throughout the year.
Breeding Range
Sandhill cranes breed primarily in the central part of North America in the Great Plains region. This includes parts of:
- Montana
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Nebraska
- Colorado
- Kansas
- Oklahoma
- New Mexico
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Texas
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- Michigan
- Southern Ontario in Canada
Within these states and provinces, sandhill cranes largely concentrate their nesting and breeding activities in open wetland areas. Major sandhill crane breeding hotspots include:
- The Platte River in Nebraska
- Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming
- Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Idaho
- Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon
- Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Michigan
- Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Kansas
- Last Mountain Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada
In these prime wetland habitats of the Great Plains and western states, sandhill cranes build nests and raise chicks during their breeding season that runs from April to October. The Platte River in particular hosts over 500,000 sandhill cranes that congregate there each spring to mate and nest.
Table 1. Major Sandhill Crane Breeding Areas in the Great Plains and Western States
| Breeding Site | State/Province | Estimated Cranes |
|---|---|---|
| Platte River | Nebraska | 500,000+ |
| Yellowstone National Park | Wyoming | 25,000-40,000 |
| Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge | Idaho | 10,000-20,000 |
| Malheur National Wildlife Refuge | Oregon | 10,000-15,000 |
| Seney National Wildlife Refuge | Michigan | 5,000-10,000 |
| Quivira National Wildlife Refuge | Kansas | 5,000-7,000 |
| Last Mountain Lake | Saskatchewan | 5,000-8,000 |
Wintering Range
In the winter months between November and February, sandhill cranes migrate south to warmer climates. Their wintering grounds center around:
- Southern Texas
- New Mexico
- Arizona
- Northern Mexico states like Chihuahua
- Southern California
Major wintering sites for sandhill cranes include:
- Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico
- Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico
- Grulla National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona
- Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in Texas
- Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas
- Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma
- Havasu National Wildlife Refuge in California
Hundreds of thousands of sandhill cranes spend their winters feeding and resting in the flooded fields, grasslands and marshes of these refuges and other wetland areas across the southern U.S. and Mexico. For example, the grounds of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge turn white every winter when over 20,000 sandhill cranes descend on the area.
Table 2. Major Sandhill Crane Wintering Areas in the Southern U.S. and Northern Mexico
| Wintering Site | State/Province | Estimated Cranes |
|---|---|---|
| Bosque del Apache NWR | New Mexico | 20,000-40,000 |
| Bitter Lake NWR | New Mexico | 20,000-35,000 |
| Grulla NWR | Arizona | 10,000-20,000 |
| Muleshoe NWR | Texas | 10,000-15,000 |
| Aransas NWR | Texas | 10,000-12,000 |
| Salt Plains NWR | Oklahoma | 10,000-15,000 |
| Havasu NWR | California | 5,000-8,000 |
Migration Routes
In the spring and fall months, sandhill cranes migrate along fairly distinct flyways between their breeding and wintering grounds. The main sandhill crane migration routes include:
- Central Flyway – From Texas up through Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and into the Dakotas and Canada
- Pacific Flyway – From California and Arizona up through Utah, Idaho and into Montana and Wyoming
- Eastern Flyway – From New Mexico east to Texas and north up through Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio
Notable staging areas where large numbers of sandhill cranes stop to rest and feed during migration include central Kansas, eastern New Mexico, the mountain parks of Colorado, and the Snake River area of Idaho. For example, thousands of cranes descend on the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Kansas every spring and fall as they move north and south.
Year-Round Range
A smaller number of sandhill cranes live in Florida and southern Georgia year-round rather than migrating north in the summer months. Areas where sandhill cranes can be spotted throughout the year include:
- Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park in Florida
- Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia
- Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park in Florida
- Everglades National Park in Florida
These non-migratory southern populations of sandhill cranes thrive in the marshes, prairies and lightly wooded wetlands of these protected areas. They forage, breed and raise chicks without leaving their year-round territories. Several thousand sandhill cranes inhabit these prime wetland habitats in Florida and Georgia throughout the year.
Scattered Small Populations
Beyond the main breeding, wintering and year-round ranges, small scattered groups of sandhill cranes also nest in:
- Nevada
- Oregon
- Washington
- Northwestern Canada
- Mississippi
- Alabama
- Tennessee
- Kentucky
- West Virginia
- Virginia
A couple hundred nesting pairs may occupy suitable wetland habitat in these states and provinces. While not major nesting sites, they add to the total sandhill crane population across North America.
Conclusion
In summary, sandhill cranes are most plentiful during the breeding season in the Great Plains states between Texas and Montana as well as parts of the western U.S. and southern Canada. Major wintering grounds are located across the southern U.S. from California to Texas and into Mexico. Sandhill cranes migrate through the Central, Pacific and Eastern flyways in great numbers during seasonal migrations in the spring and fall. Year-round populations exist in Florida and Georgia wetlands. Scattered small nesting sites across the western, southeastern and Appalachian regions add to their total range. By following this migratory pattern across North America, sandhill cranes take advantage of productive breeding areas in the summer and warmer climates for winter. Their seasonal movements and breeding congregations in key wetland habitats like the Platte River and Bosque del Apache make sandhill cranes a unique wildlife phenomenon across the continent.
