One of Colorado’s most anticipated natural phenomena is about to get underway.

Sandhill cranes start flying into the San Luis Valley this month for their annual stopover.

The majestic birds — long-legged with 6-foot wingspans, guttural songs and dances beloved by legions of admirers — arrive from wintering nests in the southwest U.S. and Mexico. En route to the northern Rockies and plains, tens of thousands of cranes are known to “spring break” in the barley fields and wetlands spanning this southern Colorado valley framed by the Sangre de Cristo peaks.

The sandhill cranes spend much of February and March in the San Luis Valley. The 42nd Monte Vista Crane Festival is set for March 7-9, returning a full weekend of seminars, photography classes, guided tours and arts and crafts inside the Ski Hi Complex.

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Many of those events are ticketed. But birdwatchers are free to drive themselves around Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, regarded as a “hot spot” for the migrators. Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge is another spot for viewing.

The cranes fly between roosts around sunrise and sunset. Throughout the day, they “loaf” in the fields, now and then appealing to a mate by leaping and flapping their wings in courtship dances.

The birds stopping in the San Luis Valley are part of the Rocky Mountain population of greater sandhill cranes. While most abundant in this part of Colorado, they are also known to nest in northwest parts of the state. Smaller numbers have been seen in far western Mesa, Montrose and Delta counties as well.

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