Sandhill cranes gathered at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge last Sunday.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
A group of sandhill cranes gathered at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge last Sunday.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Sandhill cranes flying over a field near Burkart Boulevard on Seymour’s north side.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Last weekend, sandhill cranes visited a field near Burkart Boulevard on Seymour’s north side.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Sandhill cranes gathered at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge last Sunday.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
On Sunday, a sandhill crane visited Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
Sandhill cranes flying over a field near Burkart Boulevard on Seymour’s north side last Saturday.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Sandhill cranes visiting a field near Burkart Boulevard on Seymour’s north side.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Sandhill cranes flying over a field near Burkart Boulevard on Seymour’s north side last Saturday.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Sandhill cranes flying over Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge last Sunday.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
A group of sandhill cranes gathered at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge last Sunday.
Greg Jones | For The Tribune
February is usually a big migration time for sandhill cranes through Jackson County, and right now it there are many thousands of birds in the area.
The public will have an opportunity to learn more about the birds and view them in their habitat during Celebration of Cranes from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, 12985 E. U.S. 50, Seymour.
Donna Stanley, park ranger at the refuge, said Indiana is a state that seems to have just about the entire eastern sandhill crane population of birds fly over it in the spring and fall.
“It was only about 30 years ago cranes started stopping in the Ewing Bottoms at Brownstown,” Stanley said. “For the last five years, about 20,000 cranes have stayed the winter in Jackson County and have not continued south for the winter.”
She said other sandhill cranes are not going all the way to Florida, either, and stop more in Tennessee and other places, probably because of global warming and changing habitats. The birds change migration routes slightly from time to time.
Stanley said cranes like to feed on waste grain in cornfields and soybeans and pick bugs and invertebrates out of wheat fields in the winter.
“They also feed on small aquatic animals, like crayfish, so they will gather on shallow wetland areas,” Stanley said.
She said at night, cranes like to roost in very shallow water that covers their feet. The theory is by doing this, the cranes can hear predators, such as coyotes, splashing through the water coming toward them while they sleep.
During Celebration of Cranes, there will be a variety of information about cranes at the refuge visitor center.
Everyone who enjoys birds is invited to come out to the event and join refuge staff and volunteers in looking for and learning about cranes before the birds leave the area and head north to the nesting grounds.
Children can participate in an activity to make paper cranes, and self-guided tour information will be available for those who would like to drive and view cranes on their own.
Two guided car-caravan crane tours will be held during the day, one at 10 a.m. and the other at 2 p.m., weather permitting. Both tours will leave from the visitor center, and no advance registration is needed.
For information, email [email protected] or call 812-522-4352, ext. 12.