WhenToBird

Sandhill Crane · Antigone canadensis

When Do Cranes Arrive in Louisiana?

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

Sandhill Cranes are winter birds in Louisiana: they arrive in mid November, peak in late December (1.5% of checklists), and most are gone by late February. They are the only regular cranes in Louisiana.

When to look

First arrivalsNov 15-21mid November
Common byNov 15-21mid November
PeakDec 22-31late December
Most gone byFeb 22-28late February

Best: late December. First arrivals mid November; most are gone by late February. Peak: on about 1.5% of Louisiana checklists.

  1. Janpeak season
  2. Febcommon
  3. Maruncommon
  4. Aprnot usually seen
  5. Maynot usually seen
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Sepnot usually seen
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novcommon
  12. Decpeak season

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

Cranes in Louisiana, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Sandhill CraneNov 15-21Nov 15-21Dec 22-31Feb 22-281.5%
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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana

Best counties for Sandhill Crane

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Red River ParishBest mid November · 16 checklists that week, 998 in all25%
  2. Morehouse ParishBest the second week of January · 29 checklists that week, 638 in all22%
  3. Calcasieu ParishBest late December · 498 checklists that week, 10,558 in all19%
  4. Avoyelles ParishBest early January · 16 checklists that week, 432 in all16%
  5. East Carroll ParishBest the second week of January · 10 checklists that week, 317 in all12%
  6. Cameron ParishBest late December · 412 checklists that week, 17,943 in all5.8%

Common questions

When do cranes arrive in Louisiana?
Sandhill Cranes are winter birds in Louisiana: they arrive in mid November, peak in late December (1.5% of checklists), and most are gone by late February. They are the only regular cranes in Louisiana.
When do cranes leave Louisiana?
Most Sandhill Cranes have left Louisiana by late February, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see cranes in Louisiana?
The Sandhill Crane is reported most often in late December, on about 1.5% of Louisiana checklists.