Sandhill cranes attract bird watchers to western states every year. If you are lucky enough to live near a field in the Uintah Basin, you are likely already familiar with the rattling call of these large migratory birds. "Sandhill cranes are fascinating birds," shares DWR Northeastern Region Outreach Manager Tonya Kieffer-Selby. "They perform unique dancing and courtship rituals and then choose the best-performing bird as their mate. The birds typically lay two eggs in the spring, and the parents and juveniles spend the first winter together and then separate the following spring." You can see these unique birds on Saturday, October 10th, at one of two free sandhill crane viewing events. Participants will need to drive themselves during the two different auto tours. The first auto tour will run from 7 to 9am, meeting at the Jensen Nature Park and will then drive to fields near the Green River in Jensen. The second viewing event takes place from 5 to 7pm that same day, meeting at the commuter parking lot at the intersection of Highway 40 and state Route 88 located between Vernal and Roosevelt. The tour will then head to the cranes' roosting grounds at Pelican Lake and the Ouray National Wildlife Refuge. Learn more about sandhill cranes in the Uintah Basin at wildlife.utah.gov.
Photo: UDWR