Sand Hill Crane

Adults are grey; they have a red crown, white cheeks and a long dark pointed bill. They have long dark legs which trail behind in flight and a long neck that is kept straight in flight. Immature birds do not have a red crown; they have reddish brown upperparts and grey underparts. Adult cranes can reach four to five feet in height and weigh nine to twelve pounds, with a wing span of up to seven feet.
Both sexes look alike.

These birds forage while walking in shallow water or in fields, sometimes probing with their bills. They are omnivorous, eating insects, aquatic plants and animals, rodents, seeds and berries. Outside of the nesting season, they forage in large flocks, often in cultivated areas.
This crane frequently gives a loud trumpeting call that suggests a French-style "r" rolled in the throat. Sandhill Cranes in flight can be differentiated from herons in that they fly with their necks extended and by their nearly constant calls.

Sandhills are very common in the Upper Peninsula and are found mainly in fields.