Their rolling calls announce spring as cranes stage across Montana's valleys. Few states offer a window into wild America quite like Montana.

Sandhill cranes migrate through Montana in large spring flocks.

What sets it apart

Pairs perform elaborate leaping courtship dances. That detail is easy to overlook, but it helps explain the pull this place has on Montanans and visitors alike.

Wet meadows and river bottoms are prime staging grounds.

Why it matters

Taken together, these threads say something about Montana itself — a state where the wild and the worked-over sit close together. Give these animals room, and the reward is a glimpse of a wilder, older America.