sandhill crane

noun

sand·​hill crane ˈsand-ˌhil- How to pronounce sandhill crane (audio)
: a crane (Grus canadensis) of North America and Siberia that has a red crown and is chiefly bluish gray tinged with a sandy yellow

Examples of sandhill crane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Some of you may already know what's behind the noise, but for those who don't the answer is sandhill cranes. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 The oldest sandhill crane fossil, found in the Macasphalt Shell Pit in Florida, is roughly 2.5 million years old. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024 This area is best known for the annual migration of sandhill cranes that takes place in mid-March. Mindy Sink, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2024 Backyard sightings of moose, eagles, coyotes, and sandhill cranes happen regularly. Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 3 Feb. 2024 Every March, more than half a million sandhill cranes descend on Nebraska’s Platte River en route to their nesting grounds in Canada and Alaska—more than 80 percent of the world’s sandhill cranes use the same 75-mile stretch of river. Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024 So do the geese, ducks, swans, and sandhill cranes that come north by the hundreds of thousands each summer. Bathsheba Demuth, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2024 The wildlife conservation community recovered whitetail deer, and pronghorn antelope, wild turkeys, and American elk, not to mention smallmouth bass and sandhill cranes. Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 26 Oct. 2023 Worcester County: Four sandhill cranes on Hall Road in Hardwick and eight red crossbills at gate 43 at Quabbin Reservoir in Hardwick. BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sandhill crane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1805, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sandhill crane was in 1805

Dictionary Entries Near sandhill crane

Cite this Entry

“Sandhill crane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sandhill%20crane. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sandhill crane

noun
sand·​hill crane ˌsand-ˌhil- How to pronounce sandhill crane (audio)
: a crane of North America and Siberia that is chiefly bluish gray with red on the top of the head

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