Early Spring Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) Arrival

Observation by Moses Tcheripanoff:

This spring is the earliest I have heard cranes in Southcentral Alaska. They have been breeding in the same location for well over a decade. Sure pleased to hear and of course, see them each year.

Comments from LEO Editors:

Sandhill cranes (Grus Canadensis) are one of Alaska’s many migratory species, thousands of them return every spring to reproduce, and then return to more temperate climates every fall. The bulk of returning Sandhill cranes are headed to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the interior, and coastal areas of northwest Alaska. A smaller number of birds return to the Bristol Bay area, Alaska Peninsula, and Susitna Valley. Most birds will be arriving at their nesting grounds by early to mid-May. Source: Alaska Department of Fish and Game Sandhill Crane Species Profile.

There have been reports over the years of Sandhill cranes returning throughout the month of April. In 2018, the Kachemak Crane Watch reported the first arrivals on April 7th, and in 2016 the Anchorage Daily News posted an article on April 24th reporting the return of Sandhill cranes in Anchorage.

Spring air temperatures in Southcentral Alaska have been unusually high this year, but this likely doesn’t have any impact on migratory timing of the returning birds. Effects of air temperature on migratory patterns will likely be the result of anomalous temperatures where the birds are wintering. An article by Alex Furuya in Audobon describes findings from a study that correlated warmer spring temperatures to earlier migration time of Whooping cranes (Grus Americana). Elizabeth Lindley