Okefenokee Swamp Sandhill Crane

Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message

Close up portrait of Sandhill Crane, Antigone canadensis, beak, face, red forehead, eye and feathers. Birding photography along the Chesser Island Swamp Island Drive in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA.

​Whenever a car stops along Swamp Island Drive, a wildlife viewing drive winding through the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, you can almost be sure there’s an alligator basking. But another large swamp inhabitant that will make folks put on the brakes is the Sandhill Crane. These long-legged birds are quite a spectacle for those who haven’t seen them before. I have to admit, when I spotted four along the roadside, I had to stop too! Standing at almost five feet tall, Antigone canadensis are quite impressive birds!

Even if not seen, their strange trumpeting call can be heard throughout the Okefenokee. In 1913, naturalist Francis Harper wrote of the Sandhill Crane’s call, “Their note is one of the finest sounds of the swamp. It is so unbirdlike, and yet rings so clear, is so far-reaching, and possesses such measured qualities, that the listener longs for an instant repetition.”
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While they can be quite secretive, they can be seen foraging on the open prairies, especially on Chesser and Grand Prairie on the eastern side of the Swamp. They scrounge for anything from seeds and berries to insects and small reptiles or amphibians. eBird frequency charts show the Sandhill Crane can be found throughout the year in the Okefenokee, with the highest sightings in the winter months. 

Swamp Island Drive; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia.
- Sunny, with a high near 66F.
- Sunrise 6:56 AM; Sunset 5:31 PM
- Daylight hours: 10 hours, 35 minutes (-1m 23s)
- Moon 80% Waxing Gibbous

Sandhill Crane, Antigone canadensis, walking. Birding photography along the Chesser Island Swamp Island Drive in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA.

Close up portrait of Sandhill Crane, Antigone canadensis, beak, face, red forehead, eye and feathers. Birding photography along the Chesser Island Swamp Island Drive in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA.