WhenToBird

Sandhill Crane · Antigone canadensis

When Do Cranes Arrive in Arizona?

Adult Sandhill crane
Photo: Cathy Perkins, CC0 1.0 via iNaturalist

Sandhill Cranes are winter birds in Arizona: they arrive in the second week of October, peak in mid January (2.3% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of March. They are the only regular cranes in Arizona.

When to look

First arrivalsOct 8-14the second week of October
Common byOct 8-14the second week of October
PeakJan 15-21mid January
Most gone byMar 8-14the second week of March

Best: mid January. First arrivals the second week of October; most are gone by the second week of March. Peak: on about 2.3% of Arizona checklists.

  1. Janpeak season
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marcommon
  4. Aprrare
  5. Maynot usually seen
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Seprare
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Deccommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

Cranes in Arizona, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Sandhill CraneOct 8-14Oct 8-14Jan 15-21Mar 8-142.3%
0%1%2%3%Sandhill CraneJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Sandhill Crane
Share of complete checklists reporting each species, by week (4 per month). Gaps: fewer than 10 checklists that week.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Arizona that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

Where in Arizona

Best counties for Sandhill Crane

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Greenlee CountyBest early January · 30 checklists that week, 2,745 in all48%
  2. La Paz CountyBest late November · 237 checklists that week, 7,279 in all23%
  3. Cochise CountyBest mid January · 3064 checklists that week, 190,093 in all19%
  4. Graham CountyBest early December · 130 checklists that week, 9,876 in all6.4%
  5. Navajo CountyBest the second week of January · 288 checklists that week, 18,838 in all3.3%
  6. Apache CountyBest late February · 119 checklists that week, 12,931 in all0.9%

Common questions

When do cranes arrive in Arizona?
Sandhill Cranes are winter birds in Arizona: they arrive in the second week of October, peak in mid January (2.3% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of March. They are the only regular cranes in Arizona.
When do cranes leave Arizona?
Most Sandhill Cranes have left Arizona by the second week of March, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see cranes in Arizona?
The Sandhill Crane is reported most often in mid January, on about 2.3% of Arizona checklists.