Sandhill Cranes
Sandhill Crane Observation Page
Purpose
This page has been designed for observations and sightings of Sandhill Cranes within British Columbia in order to increase our understanding of movements, distribution and overall knowledge of this species within the province.
This project is part of a larger research attempt to learn more about the highly threatened and unique population of Sandhill Cranes within the South Coast of British Columbia. If you would like to know more about on this project, please click on the PDF below:
We ask that observations of Sandhill Cranes outside of British Columbia are not submitted to us, but rather added directly to eBird.
Why submit observations?
The Sandhill Cranes of the Fraser River Delta and Coastal British Columbia represent unique subpopulations of this species that currently have no federal, provincial or municipal protection measures. There is very little funding available for research and monitoring of species such as Sandhill Cranes and any data collected, even incidentally, is very valuable to furthering our understanding of this unique bird.
What is a Sandhill Crane?
The Sandhill Crane is one of two species of cranes found within Canada and British Columbia. There are three subspecies recognized in Canada, all of which are found in BC. Cranes are very large birds, with Sandhills being the second tallest bird in North America, reaching heights of approximately 1-1.2m and have wingspans as wide as 1.8-2m depending on subspecies.
How do I know if I saw a Sandhill Crane?
There are very few birds that can be confused for a Sandhill Crane based on their size, wingspan and distinct call. The only species that can readily be misidentified for a crane is the Great-blue Heron as they share similar wetland habitats. Sandhill Cranes are light grey or occasionally rusty brown in colour. They have distinctive red crowns on their head and dark grey or black bills, while Great-blue Herons have no red crown and have a yellow/olive bill. In flight, Sandhill Cranes have an elongated neck while Great-blue Herons fly with a curved neck and have two-toned wings.
A comparison of Sandhill Cranes and Great-blue Herons.
Notice the differences in wing and bill colour between both species and the prominent red crown markings of the crane. Cranes will often (but not always) have a rusty or chestnut red color on them that herons do not. The extended neck of Sandhill cranes, compared to the curved s-shape neck of herons and egrets is also a good reference for birds in flight.
Thank you for taking the time to fill out the below. Please provide as much information and detail as possible. If you have photos of your observations, you can upload them with your observations below or to Facebook to share with other crane enthusiasts at www.facebook.com/BCcranes
Indigenous and Cultural Significance
Within the Lower Fraser, one of the last strongholds for the Sandhill Crane is found within the Pitt-Addington Wildlife Management area, part of the Katzie First Nations historic territory. According to Katzie oral history, the Sandhill Crane was one of the most important animals in their culture and was highly revered, with their name for the crane being "haha´w " which means "superior in everything".
In March, thousands of Sandhill Cranes would stop over in their traditional territories along the Pitt River and stage prior to moving north, and they termed March the "month of the crane" or " li-´mƏs " in their traditional language.
Close to Sheridan Hill, Khaals (the creator) came upon the two sandhill-crane sisters, Swaneset’s first wives, still digging up Arrowleaf potato. He asked them, ‘Do you eat these potatoes that you dig up?’
‘Yes, we have nothing else to eat.’
‘ Very well. You shall become birds.’
They laughed at him mockingly, but he added, ‘You laugh, but now you shall fly, you shall become Sandhill Cranes. Henceforth, you shall roam over the meadows as you do now.’ He raised his hand and transformed them into cranes.
So now cranes laugh and dance after they root up the ground, just as the two sisters laughed and danced when they dug up their Arrowhead potatoes.
-- Extract from Suttles, W. 1955. Katzie ethnographic notes.
CURRENT THREATS
A number of threats face the South Coastal population of Sandhill Cranes, these include:
-
Loss and conversion of wetland habitats into agricultural or commercial, residential or industrial use. The Fraser Valley has lost nearly all of its original bog habitats except for a handful scattered throughout the Lower Fraser; those being Burns Bog, Langley Bog and the Pitt Polder.
-
Poor recruitment into the breeding population as a result of low chick survival.
-
Predation pressures due to increases in mammalian and avian predators such as coyotes, raccoons and Bald Eagles.
-
Injuries and deaths as a result of golf ball strikes for birds nesting or foraging on golf courses in the Fraser Valley. At least 5 adult birds and one chick are known to have been injured or killed as a direct result of foraging and occupying golf courses, particularly in Richmond. The near complete loss of original wetlands in the south coast has forced Sandhill Cranes to utilize these suboptimal landscapes which have proven to be highly dangerous.
HISTORIC HABITAT LOSS- Sumas lake
One of the largest and most dramatic changes in the Fraser Valley was the draining of Sumas Lake located between east Abbotsford and Chilliwack today. At freshet, it represented the second largest lake in the region, second only to Harrison Lake reaching a size of 30,000 acres in May and June. This incredible wetland was the crown jewel of the Fraser Valley in terms of its ecological significance to wildlife in the area. It was unique in that it was a shallow, tidally influenced lake that allowed for incredible marsh and wetlands, ephemeral ponds, meandering streams, and rivulets.
It was drained in the 1920s and the lake bed converted to agricultural use by settlers in the area. The loss of Sumas Lake represents one of the biggest ecological travesties of the Pacific Northwest during the 21st century. Below are some historic photographs of Sumas Lake along with a map showings its historic boundaries before and after freshet events.