By Kevin Franklin THE PEOPLE OF Willcox must have larger craniums than folks in the Pacific Northwest. When a beautiful bird graces the landscape in Oregon, they come up with slogans like "Save a logger, kill a spotted owl." The locals then blame owls and federal agencies for the loss of their jobs. Meanwhile, the big logging companies who fired those loggers quietly continue mechanizing their mills and shipping raw logs to Japan; all the while fingering the owl. But when squadrons of sandhill cranes descended on Willcox, the Chamber of Commerce came up with the slogan "Wings Over Willcox." Then they invited the world to come look at the natural phenomenon surrounding their community. Apparently the world is beginning to listen. During the weekend of January 19, 20 and 21 specialists from federal, state and private wildlife agencies will volunteer their time to lead tours and seminars on the natural history surrounding Willcox and its crane phenomenon. This will be the third year for the Wings Over Willcox celebration, says Ellen Clark, organizer of the event and recently retired Willcox Chamber of Commerce executive director. With each year the number of people registering and paying for tours has doubled. More than 1,000 birders are expected to attend the official tours organized for this weekend, Clark says. Untold thousands of others have dropped into the area on their own to view the four-foot tall bird with the seven-foot wingspan. The increasing number of birds wintering in Willcox has kept pace with the soaring number of visitors. This is a record year for cranes in the area. "They started arriving here in larger quantities around 1970 or so," says Bob Miles, Arizona Game and Fish information specialist. That was the first year we did a sandhill survey at the Willcox Playa and we counted about 750 birds. Since then, it has steadily increased to the point where we did our annual sandhill survey this year and we counted more birds than ever--more than 20,000--almost double the number ever recorded. This is a phenomenal year for sandhill cranes in Arizona, and it really represents excellent viewing opportunities." Expanding agriculture in the area is generally credited with attracting even more birds. The crane's primary food source in the Willcox area is corn. Thanks to fortuitous timing, the local farming interests tolerate the annual crane influx. "Most of the farmers don't really object to it," says Miles, "primarily because they've already harvested those crops, and the cranes are just feeding on what's left over." The other draw to the area for the cranes is the Willcox Playa itself. The cranes feel safer standing out in the half-foot of water of the playa while roosting at night. Their principal predators are coyotes and bobcats, neither of which would be very stealthy or effective sloshing a few hundred yards out into the playa. If you can roust yourself out of bed early enough, you can see the morning ascent of these birds--almost all of them take wing within an hour after sunrise. "That's the most spectacular sight," says Miles "Not only is it a visual experience for you, but the sound these thousands of birds are making is nothing short of phenomenal. It's a sound you will always remember." Miles has long been an admirer of the stately cranes. "For me," Miles says, "they're incredible animals and they're an animal I've taken a particular interest in. I make it a point to get down there every year and see cranes on the playa. It's kind of a reminder of times long ago when pterodactyls took to the skies." Fortunately for the cranes, lots of other people have taken an interest in them and, perhaps more importantly, the city elders of Willcox realized how valuable the cranes could be to the local economy. But let's not kid ourselves. If the timing of the crane migration brought them to the fields before the harvest, the good folks of Willcox might be out in full force with shotguns firing. Dropping cranes might litter the ground like ticker tape, the rest of the world be damned. The Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Arizona Game and Fish folks, instead of being lauded as helpful volunteers, might be enduring a smear campaign labeling them jack-booted thugs. Maybe some fool would even set fire to one of their offices as one did in Nevada. A man's rationale is not located in his head. Quite the contrary, it comes from his ass, dictated to him by his wallet. When the debate over Arizona's own spotted owl or the reintroduction of the Mexican Gray Wolf flames up again, remember the possibility illustrated in Willcox. Arizona's second-largest industry, and certainly the one bringing the greatest benefit to the most people, is tourism. Chemical industries, automobile manufacturers and the like are always quick to explain away the health and environmental damages inflicted by their industries. They cite statistics and talk about acceptable loss, even when it comes to human life. Corporations claim these impacts, often absorbed by federal or state agencies (meaning, ultimately, you), are simply the cost of having their products. But if some wolf in Montana is even suspected of killing a rancher's calf (a taxpayer-subsidized rancher supported by a cheap land lease nonetheless!), these supposedly rugged individualists start screaming for the elimination of a species. When people begin to realize abundant wildlife can generate tourist dollars and work in conjunction with a community's other economic bases, everyone wins. Right-wing politicians continually claim environmentalists fail to acknowledge the practical aspects of the world in which we exist. It would seem the Wings Over Willcox program illustrates visionary environmental policy is, on the contrary, biologically, economically and ethically sound. Perhaps these stately birds have something larger to show us than their remarkable wingspans. GETTING THERE: A wide variety of tours are planned for Saturday and Sunday, including trips to view the Willcox area's 14 species of raptors, its geology, other bird species and, of course, the sandhill cranes. Organized tours cost from $12 to $22. Tour sizes are limited, so call the Willcox Chamber of Commerce at (800) 200-2272 for reservations and more information. Related seminars meet Friday evening and during the day Saturday and Sunday. Be sure to take binoculars, boots and clothing appropriate for Willcox's cooler climate.

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