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Linda Steider
story by RUTH BERKOWITZ • photos by LINDA STEIDER & provided
Wings Over Wetlands
STEFANIE BERGH SETS UP HER TRIPOD and attaches a spotting scope for use in search of the breeding Greater Sandhill Crane. This majestic long-legged bird, Grus canadensis tabida, with its distinctive red crown is one of the largest and oldest species in the United States. Standing over three and a half feet tall, the Greater Sandhill Crane, along with the Lesser and the Canadian subspecies, is listed as endangered in Washington State, so finding a nest at the Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Glenwood is reason to celebrate. On a chilly, windy day in late April, I joined Bergh, a biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and a group of biologists and volunteers at the
STEFANIE BERGH
Linda Steider 20
Courtesy of Stefanie Bergh
THE GREATER SANDHILL CRANE RETURNS TO CONBOY LAKE REFUGE
refuge headquarters located at the foot of Mount Adams. We set out in our vehicles to survey particular areas. Last year, they found eight breeding pairs in the refuge. There are about 40 known breeding pairs in Klickitat and Yakima counties. Biologists recently found nests as far away as the Methow Valley and Ridgefield, Washington, indicating an expansion of territory and a positive sign that the cranes are faring better.
SUMMER 2025 I THE GORGE MAGAZINE
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5/21/25 8:35 AM