The Sandhill Crane is a large, recognizable North American bird, known for its striking red forehead and elaborate courtship dance. Many people encounter these tall birds in open fields, leading to questions about where they raise their young. The question of whether these cranes nest in trees or on the ground is common, often due to confusion with other long-legged wetland birds.
The Truth About Sandhill Crane Nesting Location
Sandhill Cranes are ground-nesting birds, never constructing nests in trees or elevated structures. They prefer secluded, marshy environments, such as isolated wetlands, bogs, or swales. The nest site is closely associated with standing water, which offers a natural barrier against terrestrial predators like raccoons and foxes.
The cranes seek out areas with dense emergent vegetation, such as cattails, sedges, and bulrushes, often deep within the wetland interior to minimize disturbance. While they may occasionally build a nest on dry ground, it remains in close proximity to a water source. This behavior contrasts sharply with herons and egrets, which often build stick nests high in trees.
Anatomy of a Ground Nest
The Sandhill Crane nest is a substantial mound constructed from available plant material. Both the male and female participate in the construction, gathering dead marsh vegetation like cattails, grasses, and bulrushes, and piling it up.
Nests built over water are frequently floating or anchored to surrounding plants, preventing submersion during water level fluctuations. These structures can be large, measuring up to 30 to 40 inches in diameter and reaching four to six inches in height above the water line. The female typically arranges finer materials into a central, cup-shaped hollow where the eggs will be laid.
The Sandhill Crane Nesting Cycle
The nesting season for migratory Sandhill Cranes begins in the spring, with eggs laid in April or May, though non-migratory populations may start earlier. The female usually lays a clutch of one or two eggs, which are pale olive to brownish with dark markings. Both parents share the responsibility of incubation, taking turns to sit on the eggs for approximately 29 to 32 days.
The chicks, known as colts, are precocial, meaning they hatch covered in down, with open eyes, and are ready to move almost immediately. They usually leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching, following their parents through the marsh as they forage. The parents remain attentive, feeding and guarding the colts for many months.