VOA新闻杂志2025--Birdwatchers Photograph Prized Waterbirds in Alabama

Birdwatchers Photograph Prized Waterbirds in Alabama

In flooded agricultural fields near the Tennessee River, tens of thousands of birds called sandhill cranes search for food such as berries, corn, seeds and insects.

The Cranes come to the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Center in northern Alabama during the winter. The yearly movement, or migration¹, of sandhill cranes brings many birdwatchers who want to see the tall birds up close.

The birdwatchers also come to see the rare and endangered whooping² cranes that migrate in much smaller numbers to Wheeler. Many other birds can be seen, including geese, ducks, bald eagles, kestrels and hawks³.

Park ranger⁴ David Young described the area as “a birder's paradise,” meaning it is a perfect place for birdwatchers.

The cranes fly from the Great Lakes, an area far to the north, to Alabama each year.

The sandhill cranes started migrating to Wheeler for the winter in the mid-1990s. Their numbers increased by a lot in the mid-2000s, Young said. Last year, the migratory⁵ sandhill population reached a new record of 30,000 cranes.

The refuge has become a popular place for birdwatchers who bring hand-held telescopes called binoculars⁶. Birdwatchers can even get closer to the 1.2-meter-tall cranes as visitors stay hidden behind photography blinds and a two-level observation center. A yearly Festival of the Cranes in January brings more attention and visitors.

The cranes put on a fun show, dancing on their thin legs, moving their wings and putting their long beaks⁷ in the air to make different sounds.

Diana Maybury-Sharp regularly comes to Wheeler with friends to hike and look at birds.

“It's pretty extraordinary. I've seen them in other parts of the country where there were just a few,” Maybury-Sharp said. “They're not vocal⁸ like they are here. There's so many here that it's an unusual experience.”

The whooping cranes are part of the eastern migratory population that comes from the north-central state of Wisconsin. Young said they started coming to Alabama in 2004. Their population is between 12 and 20 each winter.

Whooping cranes nearly died out in the early 1900s because of hunting and farming. The International Crane Foundation says recovery and reintroduction efforts have slowly increased their wild and captive populations to more than 800.

The whooping cranes are sometimes hard to see among the sandhills, but their height and white feathers help them stand out. Young said the migration patterns of the cranes might change depending on the climate of both their nesting places to the north and their winter homes in the south.

Rob Broeren brought along his camera and a long telephoto lens and found a good place to work on his wildlife photography skills. He comes to the refuge about twice a month each year to photograph the birds and ducks.

“You just need to be patient and wait for them to do something interesting and make their calls,” Broeren said. “You get that cool shot and that's a good day.”

The sandhill cranes will start leaving the refuge in mid-February. Young said he notices a lot more activity when the birds are showing they are ready to travel back to their nesting grounds.

“It's usually on a day when we have some sort of a south wind," Young said. "They're smart and they will ride the wind back to their breeding grounds whenever it's most convenient for them.”

I'm John Russell.

Kristin M. Hall reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

blind –n. something to block sight or keep out light

hike –v. to walk through nature on trails for a fair distance

extraordinary – adj. going beyond what is normal or regular

vocal – adj. of or relating to the voice

nest – v. to occupy or build a nest – a place where a bird lays its eggs

convenient – adj. suited to easy performance; suited to a situation

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 whooping   

发嗬嗬声的，发咳声的

参考例句：

• Whooping cough is very prevalent just now. 百日咳正在广泛流行。
• Have you had your child vaccinated against whooping cough? 你给你的孩子打过百日咳疫苗了吗？

3 hawks   

鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物

参考例句：

• Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
• Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。

4 ranger   

n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员

参考例句：

• He was the head ranger of the national park.他曾是国家公园的首席看守员。
• He loved working as a ranger.他喜欢做护林人。

5 migratory   

n.候鸟，迁移

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• This does not negate the idea of migratory aptitude.这并没有否定迁移能力这一概念。

6 binoculars   

n.双筒望远镜

参考例句：

• He watched the play through his binoculars.他用双筒望远镜看戏。
• If I had binoculars,I could see that comet clearly.如果我有望远镜，我就可以清楚地看见那颗彗星。

7 beaks   

n.鸟嘴( beak的名词复数 )；鹰钩嘴；尖鼻子；掌权者

参考例句：

• Baby cockatoos will have black eyes and soft, almost flexible beaks. 雏鸟凤头鹦鹉黑色的眼睛是柔和的，嘴几乎是灵活的。 来自互联网
• Squid beaks are often found in the stomachs of sperm whales. 经常能在抹香鲸的胃里发现鱿鱼的嘴。 来自互联网

8 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。