Michigan

in the Great Lakes

Sandhill Cranes

Have you ever seen a Sandhill Crane? It is a tall, slender bird found in marshes, swamps and other wetlands. It has long legs, a long neck and a grayish body with a distinctive red patch on the crown of its head. Most Sandhill Cranes in Michigan migrate in the fall to southern states for the winter. Flocks of Sandhill Cranes can be seen migrating south in the wetlands of the Baker Sanctuary, including Big Marsh Lake, peaking in October and November, and during Crane Fest, held adjacent to the sanctuary and overlooking the lake, in early-to-mid-October in Bellevue, Michigan.

Click here to see more about Crane Fest 2023 in Bellevue, Michigan in October.

Click here to see more about Crane Fest and to learn more about the Sandhill Crane from Michigan Audubon.

Viewing Sandhill Cranes in Michigan

Sandhill Cranes are one of the largest and tallest types of birds found in Michigan with usual adult heights between 3 and 4 feet tall.

Click here to see the Haehnle Sanctuary website.

Click here see the Bernard W. Baker Sanctuary website.

Nomenclature

The scientific name for the Sandhill Crane is Grus canadensis.