Breakfast with the Sandhill Cranes
scheduled for Saturday, December 8, 2012

For a unique holiday season experience, have breakfast with Sandhill Cranes on Dec. 8 on Galveston Island! In its fourth year, this nature adventure has become one of the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council’s most popular events. Area outdoor enthusiasts await the arrival every year of these large, majestic birds of ancient origin. Enjoy breakfast and meet Joan Garland of the International Crane Foundation who will talk about cranes in Texas and the organization’s worldwide conservation efforts. See the birds for yourself during a convoy by car to island crane hot spots after the presentation. More than 100 cranes were seen at last year’s event!

Be sure to subscribe to our e-newsletter to get updated information about the event which will take place on Saturday, December 8, 2012.

Last year’s event drew a big crowd –

A flock of Sandhill Cranes greet the day in a field on the island's west end. This photo by Barbara Rabek was published in The New York Times

Sandhill Cranes, slightly smaller cousins of the critically endangered Whopping Cranes, spend their winters in Galveston – true snowbirds. Standing approximately three feet tall with a gray body and a red head, they are found in open fields on the west end of the island.

A Breakfast with the Crane participant uses a spotting scope to get a bird's eye view of Sandhill Cranes as part of the event's tour of island crane hot spots. The group sighted 145 Sandhill Cranes in two hours. Photo by Scott Buckel.

The morning of December 10, 2011, started with a fabulous continental breakfast followed by a lecture from Joan Garland, outreach coordinator for the International Crane Foundation. This was Garland’s second appearance at the breakfast and again she captivated the audience with information about cranes, as well as ICF conservation efforts around the world.

Cranes of all types are threatened with habitat loss and overhunting. Without groups such as the International Crane Foundation, many may soon disappear. Anyone who has seen a Sandhill Crane, a Whooping Crane or any of the other 13 species of cranes, knows that the world would be a less beautiful place without them.

After the program, the group set out to see the cranes. Three caravans were led by some of the area’s best birding experts, so there was a bonus of having them identify other birds that also call Galveston home for the winter or all year long.

The sky had cleared, the temperature was perfect and all said, 145 cranes were sighted. For these sandies and others, Galveston is their Fantasy Island, at least during the winter months.

Some 350 local students also learned about cranes, as part of Breakfast with the Crane’s new educational outreach component. Garland made special presentations at Oppe Elementary and Ambassador Preparatory Academy.

In addition, Oppe students participated in a Sandhill Crane art contest. Garland shared art from students in Russia so the children were able to see that students across the world see cranes in the same way that they do. Oppe’s art contest winners were recognized at the breakfast event, and drawings from all of the contestants were displayed. This outreach effort was such a success; it will be included in future breakfast activities.