Chattanooga: Nature Center adds sandhill cranes

photo Sandhill Cranes range from 3-5 ft in height, with a 5-6 ft wingspan.

The Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center at Reflection Riding has added two sandhill cranes to its conservation efforts, according to a news release from the center.

Since the early 1990s, a recovering population of Eastern sandhill cranes stops at the Hiwassee Refuge near Birchwood, Tenn., during migration flights to and from the the cranes' wintering grounds in Georgia and Florida.

"The refuge is the best place to see the wild sandhill cranes during their migration, but the Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center will soon be the best place to view sandhill cranes up close and year-round," Tish Gailmard, wildlife curator at the center, said in the news release.

The Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center is the building a permanent enclosure for the cranes. Donations are welcome.

"We are looking forward to introducing these magnificent, ancient birds to the public very soon," Gailmard said in the release.

Upcoming Events