WhenToBird

Sandhill Crane · Antigone canadensis

When Do Cranes Arrive in Florida?

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

The Sandhill Crane is in Florida all year. It turns up on about 13% of checklists at its peak (the second week of December) and on 7.9% in its quietest week (late April). They are the only regular cranes in Florida.

When to look

PresentAll year
Peak weekDec 8-14the second week of December
Quietest weekApr 22-30late April

Best: the second week of December. Here all year. Peak: on about 13% of Florida checklists.

  1. Janpeak season
  2. Febpeak season
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Maycommon
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octpeak season
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

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

Cranes in Florida, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Sandhill Craneall year–Dec 8-14–13%
0%5%10%15%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 Florida 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 Florida

Best counties for Sandhill Crane

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Osceola CountyBest early January · 666 checklists that week, 25,329 in all43%
  2. Pasco CountyBest late January · 1093 checklists that week, 33,431 in all42%
  3. Lake CountyBest late October · 1027 checklists that week, 40,995 in all39%
  4. Putnam CountyBest mid September · 58 checklists that week, 4,966 in all37%
  5. Hernando CountyBest mid November · 507 checklists that week, 29,464 in all37%
  6. Hardee CountyBest late November · 36 checklists that week, 1,078 in all37%

Common questions

When do cranes arrive in Florida?
The Sandhill Crane is in Florida all year. It turns up on about 13% of checklists at its peak (the second week of December) and on 7.9% in its quietest week (late April). They are the only regular cranes in Florida.
When do cranes leave Florida?
The Sandhill Crane does not leave Florida: it is reported all year, from 7.9% of checklists in late April to 13% in the second week of December.
When is the best time to see cranes in Florida?
The Sandhill Crane is reported most often in the second week of December, on about 13% of Florida checklists.