Sandhill Cranes During Their Fall Migration
See one of Indiana's greatest wildlife spectacles at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area. Each fall, tens of thousands of sandhill cranes visit J-P's shallow marshes.
- Listen to the Sandhill Cranes during their fall migration (.wav file)
- Jasper-Pulaski Map
- Photography Tips
- Audio slideshow: Sandhill cranes in fall 2009 migration
Click on image to see video
Best days
Greater sandhill cranes can be seen at J-P from late September through December. Crane numbers peak in mid-November.
Best bet -- magnificent, noisy flocks are usually seen at the northern Indiana property from mid-October through mid-December.
Best times
Sunrise - Gigantic flocks rise and fly out of roosting marshes to Goose Pasture. The cranes socialize in the pasture for awhile before flying out to feed in area fields and swamps.
Sunset - Beginning about one hour before sunset, flocks of cranes kite into Goose Pasture from all directions. They gab and socialize again before returning to roosting marshes at dusk.
Best place
The crane spectacle is best seen at the Goose Pasture Viewing Area (see map). Resting marshes are closed to the public. During the day, cranes are often spotted feeding and dancing in nearby harvested farm fields.
Sandhill Crane Count
12/27/2011: We estimate 8000 cranes still using Jasper-Pulaski. As in previous weeks, there cranes also using other areas, particularly the nearby electric generating station.
Previous Counts:
12/20/11: 8,634
12/13/11: 12,685
12/06/11: 11,143
11/29/11: 10,640
11/22/11: 9,006
11/16/11: 7,923
11/08/11: 7,862
11/01/11: 7,762
10/25/11: 6,607
10/18/11: 8,168
10/11/11: 6,662
10/05/11: 6,090
For additional information on the whooping cranes see the following Web sites:
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