BirdScope
SPRING 2005/VOLUME 19, NUMBER 2

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) coincides with the migration of Sandhill Cranes north to their grassland breeding areas. Maps based on GBBC data show some cranes were lingering in wintering areas while others were in the midst of their travels (see map below).

In addition to revealing the remarkable migratory pathways of cranes in different regions, GBBC data show annual variation in how far north Sandhill Cranes have ranged by the end of the count. During this year’s GBBC, participants reported Sandhill Cranes from more northerly locations than in previous years along the route from Georgia and Florida to central Canada and the upper Midwest. This suggests that the cranes may have begun migrating earlier, perhaps aided by a stretch of unusually warm weather across the Southeast in mid-February. 

GBBC data also show that the timing of Sandhill Crane migration differs between regions and years. This year, for example, birds wintering in Arizona and New Mexico moved north to the staging area on the Platte River in Nebraska prior to the GBBC. During last year’s count, they were reported only from their wintering grounds. The cranes from Georgia and Florida consistently appear to move north earlier than those wintering in the Southwest. The variable weather conditions over the large geographic area probably contribute to these differences. Data from GBBC participants will continue to help us better understand the migratory patterns of this species. 

For permission to reprint all or part of this article, please contact Miyoko Chu, editor, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850. Phone: (607) 254-2451. email: mcc37@cornell.edu