Nearly 35,000 Sandhill Cranes now in Sulphur Springs Valley - Arizona
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 31° 58.666 W 109° 47.806
12R E 613682 N 3538603
The sulphur valley, once the home of the Chiricahua Apaches...now barred.
Waymark Code: WM103XM
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 02/21/2019
Views: 0
County of site: Cochise County
Location of site: Atiya Dr. & Birch Rd., 3 miles E. of AZ-191, NE of Sunsites
Marker Erected: October, 2004
"WILCOX, AZ (Tucson News Now) - The Arizona Game and Fish Department is estimating nearly 35,000 sandhill cranes in the Sulphur Springs Valley, with the largest concentration of 25,184 at Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area in McNeal.
"Crane Lake has 4,872 cranes; the Willcox Playa area has 3,669; the San Simon Valley, 1,589; Safford Valley/Duncan, 479; and Bonita, 125. Game and Fish conducted its annual crane count in the valley Jan. 5.
"The cranes usually fly out as a group at dawn to feed, gleaning grain from farmer’s fields. Most of the cranes follow this feeding pattern, but some linger in or near their roosts. They return from feeding between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
"The cranes typically begin arrive mid-September to early October They begin to leave approximately mid-February, sometimes departing all at once, but others may stay until the middle of March.
"The Arizona Game and Fish Department has trust responsibility for managing more than 800 native wildlife species – the most of any inland state – for current and future generations of Arizona citizens.
"For more information on the sandhill cranes, visit the Arizona Game and Fish website here.
"For information on the history of the sandhill cranes, please visit the AZ Weekend website here." ~ KOLD news 13, January 16, 2019