Are you interested in sandhill cranes and whooping cranes or just birding in general?

Volunteers are needed in the states of Wisconsin and portions of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Minnesota
for the annual one day count on April 12, 2025.

This involves an outdoor monitoring of cranes seen and/or heard between the hours of 5:30am to 7:30am.

Count locations are provided by the Crane Count Coordinators for each county in each of those states.
For many ppl, this involves sitting outside on their property bc they regularly have cranes in their immediate vicinity.
Other times, ppl are assigned to a spot in your area that cranes are normally present.

These counts are important in tracking the cranes locations and migratory movements for a worldwide data base.

If you're interested in helping with this important work, please refer to this info sheet below.

More info can also be found at savingcranes.org.
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In Search of Crane Counters!

The International Crane Foundation will sponsor the 49th Annual Midwest Crane Count on Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 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 the survey should first contact their local County Coordinator for instructions. [insert contact information here] Additional information on the crane count can be found at cranecount.org.

The International Crane Foundation sponsors the Annual Midwest Crane Count to conserve the world’s 15 species of cranes and the natural communities on which they depend. Sandhill Cranes once nearly disappeared from Wisconsin, but the species has successfully recovered and is slowly expanding into neighboring states.

Observations of Sandhill Cranes can lend insight into threatened crane species, including the endangered Whooping Crane. There are now approximately 70 Whooping Cranes in the reintroduced population in central Wisconsin, and crane counters may have a chance of seeing one during the survey.

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The International Crane Foundation works worldwide to conserve cranes and the ecosystems, watersheds, and flyways on which they depend. We provide knowledge, leadership, and inspiration to engage people in resolving threats to cranes and their diverse landscapes. From its nearly 300-acre headquarters in Baraboo, Wisconsin, the Foundation’s reach extends across the globe, with offices and staff in China, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, and South Africa, as well as Texas. It works through strong partnerships with local organizations, governments, universities, businesses, and others in these regions. More than 135 staff and associates work with a network of hundreds of specialists in 50 countries on five continents.

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. Visit www.savingcranes.org for more information and to learn how to support the work of the International Crane Foundation.

#birding
#SandhillCranes
#biodiversity