Annual Sandhill Crane Count on Saturday, April 12, 2025

The International Crane Foundation will sponsor the 49th Annual Midwest Crane Count on Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. More than 2,000 volunteer participants from throughout Wisconsin and portions of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Minnesota will participate in the spring survey, which gathers information on the abundance and distribution of cranes in the upper Midwest.

New volunteers interested in taking part in this yearly survey need to first contact their local County Coordinator. The Crane County Coordinator will assign a site and give additional instructions. Cathy Waller (cathy@upwallers.net) is the Marquette County Coordinator. Jude Holloway (906kayaker@gmail.com) is the Alger County Coordinator. Additional information on the crane count can be found at cranecount.org.

The International Crane Foundation works to conserve the world’s 15 species of cranes and the natural communities on which they depend. The Michigan population of Sandhill Cranes was nearly gone by the early 1900s, but the species has successfully recovered and is slowly expanding their numbers. That is good news for all of us who enjoy watching these majestic birds. Observations of Sandhill Cranes can lend insight into threatened crane species, including the endangered Whooping Crane.

The International Crane Foundation works worldwide to conserve cranes and the ecosystems, watersheds, and flyways on which they depend. The Foundation is committed to a future where all 15 of the world’s crane species are secure. Through the charisma of cranes, it envisions a future where people work together for wild crane populations and the landscapes they depend on—and by doing so, find new pathways to sustain our water, land, and livelihoods.