Each fall, bird-watchers travel to western states to see sandhill cranes in the wild, but if you live near a field in the Uintah Basin, you’re no stranger to the loud, rattling call of these large migratory birds. If you have never seen or heard one up close, DWR viewing events are coming up. Sandhill cranes are unique birds that 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. “They have loud voices that can be heard up to 2.5 miles away,” shares DWR Northeastern Region Outreach Manager Tonya Kieffer-Selby. You can see these unique birds — and learn more about them — on Saturday, October 7th as the DWR and its local partners host two free sandhill crane viewing events. The first auto tour runs from 7-9 a.m. Participants will meet at the Jensen Nature Park. The second viewing event takes place from 5-7 p.m. on the same day. The auto tour will meet at the commuter parking lot at the intersection of Highway 40 and state Route 88.
