Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) is in the Cranes family (Gruidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 64,626 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in March.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Sandhill Crane: observations by month (U.S.)
About Sandhill Crane
The sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis) is a species of large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird refers to habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills on the American Plains. This is the most important stopover area for the nominotypical subspecies, the lesser sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis canadensis), with up to 450,000 of these birds migrating through annually.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Sandhill Crane by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 17,045 | March | Feb–Jan |
| Wisconsin | 6,036 | May | Mar–Oct |
| Michigan | 5,466 | May | Mar–Oct |
| California | 5,208 | November | Oct–Feb |
| Texas | 3,758 | December | Oct–Mar |
| Illinois | 3,291 | March | Mar–Nov |
| Minnesota | 2,958 | April | Mar–Oct |
| New Mexico | 2,245 | November | Oct–Feb |
| Ohio | 1,862 | May | Feb–Oct |
| Alaska | 1,496 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Indiana | 1,451 | February | Jan–Dec |
| Utah | 1,226 | April | Mar–Sep |
| Colorado | 1,224 | March | Mar–Apr |
| Oregon | 1,200 | April | Mar–May |
| Wyoming | 1,140 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Arizona | 895 | January | Nov–Feb |
| Alabama | 854 | January | Dec–Jan |
| Idaho | 840 | April | Mar–Sep |
| Montana | 721 | May | Apr–Aug |
| Washington | 642 | March | Sep–Apr |
| Nebraska | 609 | March | Mar–Mar |
| New York | 560 | March | Mar–Nov |
| Tennessee | 495 | January | Dec–Feb |
| Pennsylvania | 449 | January | Oct–May |
| Georgia | 329 | February | Feb–Feb |
| Massachusetts | 279 | March | Mar–Oct |
| Delaware | 235 | August | Jul–Jan |
| Iowa | 214 | March | Mar–Jun |
| New Jersey | 189 | January | Dec–Jan |
| Maryland | 187 | January | Oct–Apr |
| Oklahoma | 168 | November | Oct–Nov |
| Vermont | 150 | September | Apr–Nov |
| Kentucky | 139 | December | Dec–Feb |
| Missouri | 122 | April | Mar–Feb |
| Louisiana | 114 | January | Dec–Feb |
| Nevada | 105 | April | Feb–Jul |
| North Carolina | 103 | January | Dec–Feb |
| Maine | 102 | August | Apr–Nov |
| Virginia | 97 | January | Dec–Feb |
| Mississippi | 85 | December | Oct–Feb |
| South Dakota | 84 | April | Apr–Apr |
| Kansas | 74 | November | Oct–Nov |
| South Carolina | 52 | February | Dec–May |
| North Dakota | 36 | April | Apr–Apr |
| Connecticut | 27 | March | Mar–May |
| West Virginia | 24 | August | Jul–Sep |
| New Hampshire | 23 | April | Apr–May |
| Arkansas | 10 | January | Dec–Jan |
| Rhode Island | 6 | January | Jan–Jan |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related birds (Cranes)
Photography tips
- Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
- Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
- Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
- Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sandhill Crane?
Nationally, March has the most observations, with the main season from February to January.
Where is Sandhill Crane most often seen?
The most observations come from Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan.