Paynes Prairie Sandhill Cranes

About this spectacle

Each winter, thousands of sandhill cranes descend on Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park near Gainesville, Florida, transforming the open savanna into a spectacle of motion and sound. Visitors standing at the Bolen Bluff or La Chua Trail overlooks watch wave after wave of gray birds drop from the sky in their distinctive bugling calls, a sound that carries across the flat, open prairie. At dusk, large flocks spiral downward in dramatic kettles before settling into the marsh grasses for the night. Early mornings bring the reverse spectacle as cranes take flight in coordinated bursts. Bison and wild horses often share the landscape, adding to the sense of an ancient, untamed Florida. The scale of the gathering, combined with the evocative calls and the wide-open horizon, makes this one of the most stirring wildlife experiences in the American Southeast.

When to go

Jan — Dec, peak Dec — Feb

Getting there

Nearest airport: GNV. Nearest city: Gainesville.

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