Not all birds land in Broad Ripple or my backyard. The number one bird I enjoy spotting is the Sand Hill Crane. Their flyovers are majestic, surprising, and loud! Check out this DNR YouTube. Sand Hill Cranes.

These large birds migrate between their breeding grounds in Michigan, Minnesota, Ontario, and Wisconsin and their wintering grounds in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. Indiana has two locations to see the cranes up close either at Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area or Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area.

To help you out identifying this bird, it's big, sounds like a turkey gobble or trumpeting call, has a gray body with red forehead, white cheeks, and long, dark, pointed bill. Their legs trail behind when flying and their necks keep straight extending the line of their larger body. They flyover in large flocks.

Note: their wings can span over 78 inches. They are called the "ribeye of the sky" because unlike most birds, they can be hunted in some areas. Hunters say they taste like pork. Keep your eyes out for the cranes going south in the fall and coming north in the spring. Due to the crazy weather we are having, I spotted a flock of cranes on Monday, January 14. What a treat!