Whitewater Draw is a large marshland obtained by the Arizona Game & Fish Department (AZGFD) from previous ranch land to manage as a natural habitat for the many birds and animals that frequent the area.

The AZGFD has re-seeded the native grassland to restore and conserve the environment, by flooding the wetlands, creating a natural habitat.

Between November and March sandhill cranes flock to the area to escape the harsh climate as far away as Siberia, Canada, and Alaska. They must have been none to pleased to find themselves skating on sheets of ice during the cold front we witnessed during our visit in January.

There were far less cranes this year than in previous visits, possibly as a result of the temps, but more likely due to the reduced water levels at the site, which made it difficult to sustain the normal large volumes of previous years.

We were last at Whitewater Draw in 2022 when there were estimated 40,000 cranes. This year (2025), there were only 12,000.

Still, it was great fun to see the cranes mass fly out in early morning (6:30am – 7:00 am). Some would return to feed on the grain around 10:30am – 2pm, then the rest would return in bulk around 5pm.

We spent 5 days at the site allowing us to observe their behavior throughout the day. We loved watching them ‘sing’ and ‘dance’ as they talked to one another vying for position and mates.

Hopefully, in future years they will return to their higher levels. No matter, the site is quite the spectacle to see, and certainly worth a visit to watch and enjoy.

Check out my other posts on our trip here .. https://kritterspaw.com/2025/02/01/south-eastern-arizona/ and here .. https://kritterspix.com/2025/02/01/chiricahua-national-monument/