Crane Meadows Nature Center Crane Meadows Nature Center 9325 S. Alda Rd. Sandhill Cranes Sandhill cranes stand between three and four feet tall, weigh five to eight pounds, and have a wing span of six feet. This prepares them for the long flight ahead, reproduction, and possible food shortages upon their arrival at the nesting sites due to frozen ground. Both sexes of adult cranes look alike.
Cranes mate for life and often pair when they are three to six years old.
Cranes do not compete for the same mate and sometimes have a lengthy courtship. Cranes eyes do not meet during courtship. A young sandhill crane is called a colt. It grows at a rate of approximately an inch a day, reaching full size in nine weeks. They are orange-brown in color for most of their first year, lack a red crown, and make a whistling call.