Bosque del Apache

The Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico is an oasis for wintering sand hill cranes and snow geese. The refuge sits in the Albuquerque basin near the Rio Grande River. The habitat supports an average of approximately 10,000 sand hill cranes and almost twice as many snow geese each winter. The cranes and geese are drawn to the shallow wetlands that dot the refuge. The birds roost in these pools over night, the water offering some protection from nocturnal ground based predators. When the sun rises the birds take off and fly to neighboring fields where they forage for left over grain and insects.