How to identify it
Tall, all-gray crane with a red patch on the head. [1]
Where it lives
Prairies, fields, marshes and tundra; breeds in open freshwater wetlands and shallow marshes. [1]
How it behaves
Loud, rolling rattle: kar-r-r-r-o-o-o. [1]
Elaborate dancing courtship with wing-spreading and leaping. [1]
Omnivorous: insects, roots, rodents, snails, frogs, berries, seeds and waste grain; forages in flocks outside breeding season. [1]
Northern populations migrate long distances in flocks and formations; Florida, Mississippi and Cuban populations are resident. [1]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Conservation and protection
- ENDANGERED — Mississippi sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis pulla): listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1973-06-04. · ECOS species profile: Mississippi sandhill crane
Where legal take is listed
- Alberta — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
- Canada (federal migratory birds) — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022 (SOR/2022-105), Schedule Parts 7-13 (MB, SK, AB, BC, NT, YT, NU)
- Ontario — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 6 (Ontario) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Québec — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 5 (Quebec) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Saskatchewan — migratory bird hunting · Saskatchewan Hunters Guide 2026-27
- Alabama — migratory bird hunting · Sandhill Crane Season 2026-2027 (ADCNR)
- Alaska — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Alaska Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations
- Arizona — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Arizona Hunting Regulations
- Colorado — migratory bird hunting · 2 CCR 406-5 Chapter W-5 Migratory Birds (03/04/2026; eff. 2026-05-01)
- Idaho — migratory bird hunting · Idaho Migratory Game Bird 2026-2027 Seasons & Rules
- Kansas — migratory bird hunting · Kansas Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, Fall 2025-Spring 2026
- Kentucky — migratory bird hunting · Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, August 2026-March 2027
- Minnesota — migratory bird hunting · Minnesota Hunting & Trapping Regulations (effective July 2026 - June 30, 2027)
- Montana — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Waterfowl, Sandhill Cranes, Mourning Doves & Snipe Regulations
- New Mexico — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 New Mexico Migratory Game Bird Supplement
- North Dakota — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Small Game, Waterfowl and Furbearer Proclamation
- Oklahoma — migratory bird hunting · September Teal, Geese & Sandhill Cranes
- South Dakota — migratory bird hunting · 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook
- Tennessee — migratory bird hunting · Summary of Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Seasons Dates | TWRA
- Texas — migratory bird hunting · Sandhill Crane: 2026-2027 Seasons & Regulations
- Utah — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook
- Wyoming — migratory bird hunting · WGFC Ch. 14 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons and Light Goose Conservation Order (dated Apr 22 2026)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Breeds from Alaska and northern and western Canada through the northern and western US and Great Lakes; resident populations in Florida and Mississippi; some birds cross the Bering Strait.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society