I’ve lived in Alabama off-and-on for almost 20 years, and I didn’t know that there were 30,000 cranes in my backyard until about 3 years ago.
That’s right. Over 30,000 cranes, and I never noticed them. I’ve driven up and down Highway 65 more times than I can count. I’ve probably driven past Exit 134 over a hundred times. And little did I know, right next to the interstate, less than a 4-mile detour from that exit, that there was a birder’s paradise.
I am talking about Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. Referred to by locals simply as “Wheeler” or “The Refuge”, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is a 35,000-acre wildlife refuge located in Decatur, Alabama.
During the spring and summer, it appears unassuming. It is open for boating, fishing, and hiking, and it is a wonderful place to spend a day outdoors. If you spend a day there, you’ll probably see some osprey, songbirds, fish, snakes, frogs, and maybe a beaver.
A Northern Harrier, one of the many species of birds you can see when visiting Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. Photo copyright Ross Hutto.
But in the winter, it transforms into something I never imagined could be real. You see, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is an overwintering spot for waterbirds that migrate south from the northern United States and Canada. Starting in November, thousands upon thousands of Sandhill Cranes begin to make their temporary home at Wheeler.
They are followed by thousands of ducks, coot, pelicans, and geese. By Christmas, there are usually 20,000-30,000 Sandhill Cranes, 60,000 ducks, 3200 geese, 1000 White Pelicans, and 30,000 coot.
The most important thing about Wheeler, however, is that along with the Sandhill Crane migration comes an even more important and impressive bird – the critically endangered Whooping Crane.
Four adult and one juvenile Whooping Crane (foreground) are seen amongst a flock of Sandhill Cranes (background) at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. Photo copyright Ross Hutto.
As of 2018, there are only approximately 500 Whooping Cranes left in the wild. This may not seem like a lot, but it is a historic high from 1941, when there were only 15 of these majestic birds left in the wild. The Whooping Crane was one of the first species to be protected under the 1967 Endangered Species Preservation Act (the precursor to the 1973 Endangered Species Act), and its numbers are now increasing.
Each year, approximately 15 Whooping Cranes visit Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, and the opportunity to see one of these magnificent birds is a massive draw for birders all over the country to visit Alabama.
You may think that this all sounds impressive, but that it may still take some effort to see these birds – maybe a long, time-consuming hike into the backwaters of the Refuge – and you simply don’t have the time or hiking gear for that on your road trip.
You would be wrong.
You see, all of these thousands of cranes, ducks, geese, and even the critically endangered Whooping Crane – they don’t gather in a hidden spot on the Refuge. They gather right in front of Wheeler’s Visitor Center – which is 4 miles from the interstate.
When you park your car, you can hear the cacophony of honks and calls before you even open the door. You can see groups of them flying overhead. When you step out of your car, all you have to do to see thousands and thousands of birds gathered in one place is go into the Visitor Center, and then take a 5-minute walk on a gravel walkway to the Observation Building.
A photo taken from the Observation Building, showing only a small fraction of the number of cranes you can see at once. The gray cranes are Sandhill Cranes, while the two larger white ones are critically endangered Whooping Cranes. Photo copyright Ross Hutto.
You may think that maybe it wouldn’t be worth stopping to see the birds, because even at the Observation Building, the birds are really far away and you’d need binoculars to see them.
Again, you would be wrong.
The cranes, ducks, and geese gather right in front of the building. No binoculars required. And if you do need binoculars, there are free binocular stands inside the Observation Building if you want to take a closer look at something that’s farther away.
A pair of Sandhill Cranes at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. Sandhill Cranes are much grayer and about a foot shorter than Whooping Cranes. Photo copyright Ross Hutto.
Words cannot describe what an overwhelming, incredible sight it is to see thousands of 4-foot-tall cranes, mixed with hundreds of ducks and geese, gathered in one place, feet from the windows of the building you’re standing in, all contributing to a never-ending cacophony of honks.
It is a once-in-a-lifetime feeling to see, feet from where you are standing, a brilliantly white and red, 5-foot-tall, critically endangered and rare bird of which there are only 500 left.
It amazes me that I have lived in Alabama for almost two decades and no one ever mentioned this amazing place to me. The only reason that I found it is because I decided to stop on a whim one winter day while driving past the sign. I was shocked that it was so close – and I was even more shocked at the thousands of amazing birds I saw without having to leave the building.
Hundreds of Snow Geese fly above Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. Photo copyright Ross Hutto.
Hundreds of American White Pelicans overwinter at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. Photo copyright Ross Hutto.
There were 30,000 cranes in my backyard for years and I never knew. If something this amazing was in my backyard, what could be in your backyard that you don’t know about? Every state and country has amazing things hiding in plain sight. There could be 30,000 cranes in your backyard, just waiting to be discovered.
The next time you’re on a road trip, stop on a whim to visit some of the natural places, wildlife refuges, or state/national parks that are advertised on the side of the road. You never know what amazing things you might find.
If you would like to visit Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, their address is 3121 Visitor Center Rd, Decatur, AL 35603. The cranes and other waterfowl start arriving in mid to late November, and reach peak numbers by Christmas. Waterfowl numbers begin to decline in mid-January, and most of the birds are gone before March.
Every January, Wheeler holds a huge festival called the Festival of the Cranes, where there are speakers, educators, raptors shows, art shows, and theater events. You can read more about Wheeler and see their hours at their website, and more about the Festival of the Cranes at the festival’s page, here.
