Bird Guide

Sandhill Crane vs White-naped Crane

Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)

Sandhill Crane

Antigone canadensis

Huge4.3 kgWetland

Adults are gray overall; during breeding, their plumage is usually much worn and stained, particularly in the migratory populations, and looks nearly ochre. The average weight of the larger males is 4.57 kg (10.1 lb), while the average weight of females is 4.02 kg (8.9 lb), with a range of 2.7 to 6.7 kg (6.0 to 14.8 lb) across the subspecies. Sandhill cranes have red foreheads, white cheeks, and long, dark, pointed bills. In flight, their long, dark legs trail behind, and their long necks keep straight. Immature birds have reddish-brown upper parts and gray underparts.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Sandhill Crane
Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Flight call · Sherburne NWR, Sherburne, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Nigel · CC BY 2.0
White-naped Crane (Antigone vipio)

White-naped Crane

Antigone vipio

Huge4.7 kgWetland

The white-naped crane can be identified by its grey body, reddish face patch, white throat, and the white strip going from the back of its crown down its neck, or nape. Juveniles differ by having a brown head and a pale throat. While this crane does have other species in its genus with similar characteristics, it can be distinguished by the white nape that is not present in the other species. The white-naped crane emits a variety of different calls: a growling contact call, or high pitched call at short ranges, and loud calls which differ between sexes.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the White-naped Crane
Recorded by Jochem Verweij · Call · Binder, Khentii, Mongolia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: (c) Christoph Moning, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christoph Moning · cc-by

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Sandhill Crane and White-naped Crane.