2 Types of Cranes in Kansas

The sandhill crane is the most numerous crane type in Kansas. They are large, gray birds with a distinctive red forehead and a loud, rattling call. Every year, tens of thousands of sandhill cranes migrate through the state, with central Kansas serving as one of the most important staging grounds in the Great Plains where they gather in huge numbers to rest and feed.

The whooping crane is the rarest crane species in North America and a prized sighting in Kansas. They are much taller than sandhill cranes and have pure white plumage with black wingtips. A small number of whooping cranes pass through Kansas as part of the Aransas-Wood Buffalo population, which is the only self-sustaining wild flock of whooping cranes in existence.

The most obvious difference is their color: sandhill cranes are gray, while whooping cranes are white. Whooping cranes are also taller, standing up to 5 feet, compared to the 4-foot height of the sandhill crane. Their calls are also distinct, with whooping cranes having a louder, more bugle-like sound that carries further across the open prairies and marshes of central Kansas.

The best place to see both types of cranes is at the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and Cheyenne Bottoms during the peak of the fall migration. While sandhill cranes will be there by the thousands, you must look carefully for the few white whooping cranes that may be mixed in with the larger gray flocks. These areas provide the specific salt marsh habitat that both species prefer.

Yes, many people mistake the Great Blue Heron for a sandhill crane. However, herons are more solitary and fly with their necks tucked in, whereas cranes are very social and fly with their necks stretched straight out. You might also see American White Pelicans, which are white like whooping cranes but have massive orange bills and a completely different silhouette in flight.

During the peak of the migration seasons, it is estimated that over 50,000 sandhill cranes can be present in central Kansas at one time. This represents a significant portion of the entire mid-continental population. In contrast, the number of whooping cranes is very small, often with fewer than 10 individuals documented in the state in any given year, making each sighting a historic event.