Sandhill Crane

There are several subspecies of Sandhill Crane that are found in the same western migratory flocks – Greater Sandhill Crane (tabida), Lesser Sandhill Crane (candidensis), and an intermediate size (rowani).  In addition there is a resident population of Greater Sandhill Crane (pratensis) in Georgia and Florida. Besides its smaller stature, Lesser Sandhill Crane has a noticeably shorter and slimmer bill.  When landing, Sandhill Cranes typically spread their huge wings to gracefully float down softly from the sky like a parachute.