Got Nature? Blog

Sandhill cranes at Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area. Photo by Indiana DNR.

Wild Bulletin, Division of Fish & Wildlife, IN DNR: Each fall, thousands of sandhill cranes visit the marsh at Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area (FWA) as they migrate, and their visits make for a prime wildlife viewing opportunity from its observation deck. To spot the flocks of cranes, visit at sunrise or sunset until mid-December. The observation deck has a few stationary viewing scopes, but bringing your own spotting scope or binoculars may enhance your viewing experience.

If you can’t make it to the area, you can follow along with our sandhill crane counts, which we update weekly during the migratory season.

Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area provides quality outdoor recreational opportunities while maintaining 8,179 acres of wetland, upland, and woodland game habitat. It provides an ideal stopover for migratory birds. More than 15,000 sandhill cranes stop during fall migration.

Best time to view:

• Sunrise: Gigantic flocks rise and fly from their roosting marshes to feed in surrounding private land (agricultural fields). On their way to feed some birds stop in the open grassland areas of the refuge.
• Sunset: Beginning about one hour before sunset, flocks of cranes kite into the refuge near the observation area from all directions. They gab and socialize again before returning to roosting marshes at dusk.

While this is the cranes’ usual routine, it is important to remember they are wild animals and are not always predictable.

Best location to view
The crane spectacle is best seen from the observation platform at the Sandhill Crane Observation Area (view map). During the day, cranes can be spotted feeding and dancing in nearby harvested farm fields. Roosting marshes in the Waterfowl Resting Area are closed to the public so that migrating birds can rest without human disturbance.

Viewing tips
While cranes may gather close to the observation platform, they are usually several hundred yards away. A few stationary viewing scopes are available but bringing your own spotting scope or binoculars is recommended. If you are photographing cranes, your most powerful zoom lens will be handy, as trying to get too close to these birds will easily spook them.

Learn more about the fall sandhill crane migration at Jasper-Pulaski FWA.

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Resources:
International Crane Foundation
Sandhill Crane Migration Season is Upon Us, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Climate + Birds, Purdue Institute for Sustainable Future
Birds and Residential Window Strikes: Tips for Prevention, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Breeding Birds and Forest Management: the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment and the Central Hardwoods Region, The Education Store
Managing Woodlands for Birds Video, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Ask An Expert, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube channel
No Room at the Inn: Suburban Backyards and Migratory Birds, Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Subscribe, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel

Indiana Department of Natural Resources