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Field Guide for all the Birds of North America

Cranes

Grues

Gruidae

Information, images and range maps on over 1,000 birds of North America, including sub-species, vagrants, introduced birds and possibilities

North American Bird Search Box

The cranes are some of the largest birds in North America and they have some of the widest wingspans of all the birds on the North American continent.

There are two types of cranes; the Whooping Crane which is the largest and one of the most endangered birds in the world and the other is the Sandhill Crane, which has a sub-species known as the Lesser Sandhill Crane. These two Sandhill Cranes are quite similar in looks and the only real difference is in the overall size of the birds.

The cranes are members of the rail group. They prefer feeding in both pastures and marshes. These birds, much like swans, fly with straight necks, as opposed to herons who fly with their necks curled back to their bodies. The cranes are much more vocal than swans or herons and their bugling can be heard for miles around. There are two rare vagrants that sometimes find their way to western North America; the Common Crane and the Hooded Crane.

North American Birds Videos

Click on the bird names listed below to see pictures of the Cranes seen in North America

Common Crane

Hooded_Crane

Sandhill Crane

Whooping Crane

References to Other Bird Sites:

Avibase - the world bird database This site provides the user with a complete list of bird species, broken down per country, or in the example of the US or Canada, per state and province. Here, bird species names are available in other languages, a great asset to be used as a translation of foreign bird names.

ABA - American Birding Association This site represents an organization that maintains official records of all birds species that have been proven to have been seen inside the perimeters of the North American Continent and the surrounding bodies of water. Regular revised versions are posted to keep the bird list current at all times. This is the list used by all serious birders over their lifetime. You may be aware of the movie called the "Big Year". It was with this list that all the competing birders used in an attempt to set a new record as to how many bird species that could be seen by an individual birder in one calendar year.

I hope you will take advantage of these suggested websites. I have used each of them, in one way or another, throughout the years in my quest to better identify and understand our fine feathered friends.

Classic Collection of North American Birds

CCNAB