Rare crane bolsters refuge crowd

Staff writer

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Last month, the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge received a special guest from Russia. His name is Vladimir, he stands taller than everyone around him, and he might stay until February.

Just to be clear, Vladimir, or Waldo, depending on who you ask, is a Eurasian common crane and he is the first to be documented visiting Texas, according to Justin Bosler, a graduate student from Texas Tech University. Bosler specializes in studying the sandhill crane that winter in the area.

Courtesy photo: Justin Bosler

Texas Tech Graduate Student Justin Bosler was the first to spot a Eurasian common crane out of more than 100,000

sandhill cranes on Nov. 18 at Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge.

For bird watchers around the country, Vladimir’s a rare find.

The water bird was first spotted Nov. 18 by Bosler. He found the common crane out of more than 100,000 sandhill crane.

“It’s not supposed to be in the U.S.,” Bosler said. “It’s a remarkable sighting.”

Bird watchers from around the country have traveled to the refuge to try and spot the visitor. From Clovis, the trip is about 50 miles east.

Bosler said increased awareness after he spotted the first one led to sightings of possibly two more in Texas and one in New Mexico.

He said the differences between the common crane and the sandhill crane are easy to spot, although finding the bird is difficult.

Bosler said the cranes are skittish, and sometimes hang out far from the road.

He said the common crane is taller than the sandhill crane, has black on its crown and throat, a white face, yellow bill and is a slightly sandier color.

Although bird watchers spotted and photographed the elusive bird in the first week of December, a representative from the refuge said he hasn’t been spotted this week. But Bosler said he will likely stick around until February.

Bosler said his research project includes capturing the sandhill crane to put satellite tags on them and study their migration and foraging habits. He said it is difficult to capture a sandhill crane, so the odds are against capturing a common crane at the refuge.

“I wish I had the opportunity to run into more of them,” Bosler said.