Our November bird of the month is the elegant Sandhill Crane!

These large, tall birds gather in large groups and breed in open wetlands, fields and prairies. Their call is loud and their flight is graceful and something to behold, filling the air by the hundreds (or thousands!), with both their neck and long legs extended. Adults are mostly gray with a white face and distinctive red crown. Young sandhill cranes are mostly brown and easily distinguishable from the adults even if they’re the same height, as they lack the red crown. Their diet includes seeds, berries, insects, reptiles, small mammals and crustaceans.

Sandhill Cranes are long-lived but don’t breed right away after fledging. Some may start breeding by the age of two, but it’s not uncommon for them to wait until the age of seven. They mate for life and mates stay together year-round, often remaining together for twenty years or more! They have elaborate courting rituals - stretching their wings, bowing, head pumping and leaping into the air with a graceful and energetic dance