WhenToBird

Sandhill Crane · Antigone canadensis

When Do Cranes Arrive in Nevada?

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

Sandhill Cranes arrive in Nevada in mid February, peak in early August (1.2% of checklists), and most are gone by late October. They are the only regular cranes in Nevada.

When to look

First arrivalsFeb 15-21mid February
Common byFeb 15-21mid February
PeakAug 1-7early August
Most gone byOct 22-31late October

Best: early August. First arrivals mid February; most are gone by late October. Peak: on about 1.2% of Nevada checklists.

  1. Janrare
  2. Febcommon
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julpeak season
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novuncommon
  12. Decrare

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

Cranes in Nevada, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Sandhill CraneFeb 15-21Feb 15-21Aug 1-7Oct 22-311.2%
0%0.5%1%1.5%2%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 Nevada 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 Nevada

Best counties for Sandhill Crane

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Eureka CountyBest mid April · 22 checklists that week, 530 in all15%
  2. Douglas CountyBest mid April · 142 checklists that week, 7,476 in all13%
  3. Lincoln CountyBest the second week of October · 73 checklists that week, 3,842 in all9.5%
  4. White Pine CountyBest early March · 39 checklists that week, 5,465 in all8.7%
  5. Elko CountyBest mid May · 214 checklists that week, 8,844 in all8.6%
  6. Humboldt CountyBest late April · 50 checklists that week, 2,523 in all6.3%

Common questions

When do cranes arrive in Nevada?
Sandhill Cranes arrive in Nevada in mid February, peak in early August (1.2% of checklists), and most are gone by late October. They are the only regular cranes in Nevada.
When do cranes leave Nevada?
Most Sandhill Cranes have left Nevada by late October, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see cranes in Nevada?
The Sandhill Crane is reported most often in early August, on about 1.2% of Nevada checklists.