Sandhill cranes are a sight to behold and they are in abundance in the Uintah Basin this year. The Division of Wildlife Resources held a successful day long viewing event on Saturday. The event started at the Jensen Nature Park, made a stop at the Uintah County Library for activities, and then an auto tour to the crane’s roosting grounds at Pelican Lake and the Ouray National Wildlife Refuge. The sandhill cranes are among the world’s largest migratory birds standing around 4 feet tall and with a wingspan of 6 to 7 feet across. Their cries can be heard over 2 miles away. Biologists estimate that currently there are around 1,200 sandhill cranes in the Uintah Basin and by the time the birds peak in November there will be as many as 5,000 cranes to have stopped by the Uintah Basin during migration this year.
