They can fly up to 400-500 miles in one day, usually at an altitude of around 6,000 to 7,000 feet, but often as high as 13,000 feet as they migrate through the Rocky Mountains. During fall migration, most cranes will fly slower than in the spring in order to accommodate their young who cannot fly as fast.

Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Cranes live on all continents except Antarctica and South America. Cranes construct platform nests in shallow water, and typically lay two eggs at a time.

Sandhill Cranes are known for their dancing skills. Sandhill Crane chicks can leave the nest within 8 hours of hatching, and are even capable of swimming.

Sandhill cranes are omnivorous, meaning they eat a variety of plant and animal matter. Some of their favorite meal items include seeds, plant tubers, grains, berries, insects, earthworms, mice, snakes, lizards, frogs and crayfish.

The average lifespan for wild cranes is typically between 20 years and 30 years. The longevity record for all crane species goes to the Siberian Crane.

Females will grow to between 2.5 and 3 inches. Before coloration differences become apparent, you can discern males from females by the difference in their tails. A male’s tail is pointed, while a female’s is rounded. Male dorsal fins are longer and more pointed, while the female’s again are rounded.

Can sandhill cranes hurt you? During nesting season, they can even injure people that they see as a threat to their nests or newly hatched chicks.

20 years

Unlike cormorants, however, the flesh of sandhill cranes is edible and is reported by hunters to taste much like pork chops, so the birds are not merely killed and composted, but are also consumed.

Sandhill cranes

BAG & POSSESSION LIMIT — Three (3) sandhill cranes per calendar year. WEAPON — Migratory game birds may be taken only with a 10 gauge or smaller shotgun capable of holding not more than three shells. Birds may also be taken by falconry or by bow and arrow, or crossbow.

Both sandhill and whooping cranes are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918. This law strictly prohibits the capture, killing, or possession of sandhill and whooping cranes without proper permits.

Noel Eugene Bevington of 1599 County Road 436 in Sumter County is charged with killing a Florida sandhill crane, and shooting from a county-maintained road. Both misdemeanors each carry a penalty of up to a $500 fine and/or up to 60 days in jail.

Incubation lasts for 29 to 32 days. Sandhill cranes raise one brood per year. In non-migratory populations, egg-laying can happen any time between December and August. In migratory populations, sandhill cranes usually lay their eggs in April and May.

Sandhill cranes feed on frogs, fish and insects as well as fruit, aquatic plants and seeds. People report that the birds are gobbling up spilled bird seed, snapping off flower heads and digging up small plants and bulbs.

Sandhill Crane parents with colts will attack animals threatening their young and could cause injury to dogs. They will use their 4-inch long beak as a defensive tool to protect their young.