Migration of Sandhill Cranes, Grus canadensis, in east-central Alaska, with routes through Alaska and western Canada

Kessel, Brina.1984.Migration of Sandhill Cranes, Grus canadensis, in east-central Alaska, with routes through Alaska and western Canada.Canadian Field-Naturalist 98(3): 279-292.One hundred fifty thousand to 200 000 Sandhill Cranes migrate through the upper Tanana River Valley of eastern Alaska, primarily from the last week of August to the first week of October and from the last week of April to the middle of May.These cranes summer throughout most of interior and western Alaska and in northeastern Siberia, and they winter mostly in eastern New Mexico-western Texas and adjacent northern Mexico.During the peak of migration, 10 000 to 50 000 cranes may pass through the upper Tanana region ina single day.Except for periods of bad weather, ground use is primarily for overnight roosting and feeding.Open areas are selected for roost sites, with a preference shown for alluvial islands of wide, braided riverbeds.Timing and specific routes are affected by weather, especially strong winds and poor visibility.Cranes are primarily daylight, fair-weather migrants, but sometimes migrate at night and during inclement weather.Most migration occurs between 300 and 900 m AGL, with flights higher in spring than fall.