Sandhill Crane Platte River Migration — Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

About this spectacle

Each autumn and winter, tens of thousands of sandhill cranes descend on Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, filling the sky with their bugling calls at dawn and dusk. Visitors gather at the refuge's observation decks and auto tour routes to watch enormous flocks lift off the marshes in a spectacle known as the 'Fly-Out' — a thundering, swirling mass of wings catching the early light. The air is thick with sound: a chorus of rattling, prehistoric cries echoing across the Rio Grande bosque. Snow geese and raptors often join the display. As the sun rises over the Chupadera Mountains, the wetlands glow copper and gold, framing the cranes in flight. It is one of North America's most dramatic wildlife convergences, equal parts auditory and visual spectacle.

When to go

Oct — Mar, peak Nov — Feb

Getting there

Nearest airport: ABQ. Nearest city: Socorro.

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