Hunting season for the Sandhill Crane in Quebec and Ontario
Hunting of the Sandhill Crane
- Beginning in September of 2026, residents of Canada will be able to hunt the Sandhill Crane in certain parts of Quebec and Ontario
- Hunters can consult the Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations Summaries to find out more about details related to this hunt
- Hunters are responsible for knowing the regulations in the areas where they hunt and for correctly identifying the species they are permitted to hunt
Hunters: contribute to the surveillance of the Sandhill Crane
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) encourages hunters to participate in the voluntary Sandhill Crane survey in Ontario and Quebec. The purpose of this survey is to determine the ratio of adult and young Sandhill Cranes harvested in each province. To participate, send a photo to one of the following addresses, depending on the province in which the Sandhill Crane was harvested:
- Quebec: GRCA-QC-SACR-QC@ec.gc.ca
- Ontario: GRCA-ON-SACR-ON@ec.gc.ca
Please indicate the date and location of the harvest (closest municipality, Wildlife Management Unit [WMU] in Ontario or hunting district in Quebec) and make sure that the photo of the bird collected meets the following criteria:
- Tightly framed photo of the head, side view
- Only one bird per photo
- Do not alter the contrasts or coloring of the photo
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Example of required photo to participate in the voluntary Sandhill Crane survey in Ontario and Quebec.
How to identify the Sandhill Crane
An identification tool to help compare and differentiate four large bird species: the Sandhill Crane, Whooping Crane, Canada Goose, and Great Blue Heron. Click here to download and print a copy at home [PDF, 1.4 MB].
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An infographic titled “Sandhill Crane Identification Tool” compares four large bird species: Sandhill Crane, Whooping Crane, Canada Goose, and Great Blue Heron. Each column contains both flying and standing illustrations of the birds, along with brief identifying notes.
The adult Sandhill Crane is recognized by its brown or grey body and a red crown on the top of the head, standing 4 feet tall. The juvenile Sandhill Crane has a brown nape, indicating a brown area on the back of the neck, and stands under 4 feet tall. Sandhill Cranes are tall, slender birds with long legs and long necks.
The adult Whooping Crane is a large white bird and the tallest of the four bird species, standing at 5 feet. It has black wing tips that are clearly visible when the wings are extended. The juvenile Whooping Crane is white with brown plumage and stands under 5 feet tall.
The Canada Goose has a black head and neck and a compact body with brown plumage, standing just over 2 feet tall.
The Great Blue Heron has a neck coiled when in flight. A standing heron is depicted with a dark crown, a long, yellow bill and a slender body, standing at about 3 feet tall.
Across the lower half of the infographic, horizontal lines mark height measurements from 1 foot to 6 feet. Silhouettes of a taller adult figure and a smaller child figure appear on the right side for visual comparison, illustrating the relative heights of the birds when standing.
Illustration credits: International Crane Foundation (adult Sandhill Crane, Whooping Crane, and Great Blue Heron) and Frédérique Tremblay (Canada Goose and juvenile Sandhill Crane).
The Canada wordmark and Environment and Climate Change Canada logo.
Key features for identifying the Sandhill Crane
- The Sandhill Crane is a large wading bird (height: 100–120 cm) with long legs, a long neck, and a long, straight beak
- Adult individuals over one year of age have:
- grey plumage, sometimes tinged with rust
- very distinctive red crown that contrasts with the rest of the plumage
- In the fall, young Sandhill Cranes:
- have paler, more faded brown plumage than adults, with noticeable brown plumage on the back of the head and nape
- do not have the bright red crown characteristic of adults
- In flight, the bird's neck is extended (not coiled), and the legs extend from the back of the body
- The flapping of the wings is sustained and regular, with a slow descent and a rapid ascent
- During the fall migration, the Sandhill Crane frequents farmlands and is typically seen in groups, in flight, or feeding on the ground in a field
- The call, emitted more often in flight, is loud, hoarse and vibrant
- The call can be compared to a slightly hoarse trumpet
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Adult (bottom) and young (top) Sandhill Cranes in flight. The bright red crown is obvious on the adult while the young crane has an obvious brown nape (back of the head) and lacks the obvious crown.
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On the centre and far side of the image, adult Sandhill Cranes in a field. The plumage is grey and rusty. The red cap contrasts with the rest of the plumage. On the right, and second bird from the left, two young Sandhill Cranes. The nape of the neck is brown and there is no red crown.
Species most likely to be confused with the Sandhill Crane in Quebec and Ontario
Whooping Crane
- The species is designated endangered in Canada
- Its larger size (height: 125–160 cm), white plumage, and black wingtips distinguish it from the Sandhill Crane.
- In the fall, young-of-the-year Whooping Cranes have white plumage, but have noticeable brown plumage on the head, neck, wings, and towards the tail.
- Like adults, young-of-the-year Whooping Cranes have black wingtips, very contrasting
- The risk of accidental harvesting of Whooping Cranes is deemed negligible
- Sightings of the species in Ontario and Quebec are extremely rare, with only five sightings in Ontario since 1871 and one record in Quebec dating from May 2005
- No sightings were reported in the new hunting areas for the Sandhill Crane during the autumn
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An adult Whooping Crane and a young Whooping Crane fly over a group of Sandhill Cranes on the ground in a field. Whooping Cranes are easily distinguished from Sandhill Cranes by their white plumage and black wingtips. The young Whooping Crane has brown feathers on its head and wings. This helps to distinguish it from adults.
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On the left, three adult Whooping Cranes are flying alongside two adult Sandhill Cranes on the right. Whooping Cranes are easily distinguished from Sandhill Cranes by their white plumage and black wingtips.
Great Blue Heron
- The species' proportions and grey plumage are similar to those of the Sandhill Crane, but have a dark crown and a longer, yellow bill
- The Great Blue Heron is rarely seen flying in flocks.
- In flight, its neck is coiled, which distinguishes it from the Sandhill Crane
- The Great Blue Heron rarely frequent fields where Sandhill Crane hunting can occur in Ontario and Quebec
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A Great Blue Heron in flight. Its neck is coiled, making it easy to distinguish from the Sandhill Crane. Its crown is dark and its bill is longer.
Canada Goose
- The species is easily distinguishable from the Sandhill Crane.
- Its size is smaller and its plumage is brown (body) and black (neck and head)
- Harvesting of Canada geese is authorized in Ontario and Quebec, and the hunting season for the Sandhill Crane overlaps with that of the geese
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At the back of the image, two Sandhill Cranes stand on a grassy field. At the front, four Canada Geese are standing on a grassy field. Canada Geese are easily distinguished from Sandhill Cranes by their smaller size and black necks.
Status of the populations of the Sandhill Crane
An assessment of the status of the Sandhill Crane in Ontario and Quebec has been completed by ECCC. The Department concluded that the species can sustain regulated harvesting in Quebec and Ontario and that the establishment of a hunting season presents no additional risk to other migratory bird species.
Sandhill Crane monitoring programs are in place in both provinces to ensure public health and sound harvest management.
For more information, see the report Migratory Birds Regulations in Canada: 2026. Other population trend data can also be found in the biannual report on Population status of migratory game birds in Canada.