The Greater sandhill crane is Oregon's tallest bird. This large majestic crane has a guttural gurgling or bugling call, and is easily noticed in flight by its profile, with long neck and head extending straight ahead and long legs trailing behind.

The Greater sandhill crane is distinguished by its red crown and white cheek patches, contrasting with with a light gray body. Fledged young resemble adults, but have a feathered forehead, a lighter tawny plumage, and lack the red crown and white cheek patches during their first fall. Fledged young have a squeaky cheap call often heard in flight during fall and winter. Adults look alike, although males are larger than females.

The dancing behavior of cranes is usually associated with disturbance and agitation, and not courtship ritual as so often reported.

These birds breed throughout southeast, south central, northeast and central Oregon in large emergent marsh-meadow wetlands, as well as scattered smaller meadows among the Blue Mountains. A few pair also nest in high montane meadows in the western Cascades. The largest breeding concentrations occur at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Sycan Marsh, The Silvies River Floodplain (near Burns), Chewaucan Marshes, Warner Valley, and Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. In fall, the Sandhill cranes that stage on Sauvie Island are frequently heard as they migrate south over the Willamette Valley. Sandhill cranes are found in an increasing winter population on Sauvie Island.

The Greater sandhill crane is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the East Cascades, Northern Basin and Range, and West Cascades ecoregions. 

Hear the call of the Greater sandhill crane

Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW