About five years ago, the International Crane Foundation (ICF) began to explore with the Wetlands Initiative (TWI) the potential of our Dixon Waterfowl Refuge as high-quality habitat for the reintroduction of critically endangered Whooping Cranes. As part of this partnership, we began to more methodically study habitat conditions at the Refuge where Sandhill Cranes have already chosen to nest and breed, since Sandhill Crane habitat will also often be good for Whooping Cranes.
Through our research together, TWI and ICF soon realized that any Whooping Crane population in the Illinois River Valley would eventually need a habitat corridor much larger than the 3,000 acres of the Dixon Refuge. That’s how the Middle Illinois River Conservation Collaborative (MIRCC), of which TWI is a founding member, got pulled into the project. To better understand the current population of Sandhill Cranes throughout the region, in spring 2021 MIRCC members spearheaded the 1st Annual Illinois River Valley Crane Count as part of ICF’s existing Midwest count.
Sunrise along the Illinois River during the 2021 crane count. Photo by Vera Leopold/TWI.
On a cold morning in April 2021, TWI took the lead organizing volunteers at a cluster of sites in the Hennepin area, including the Dixon Refuge, while other organizations led groups up and down the river valley. The Hennepin-area volunteers heard or saw a total of 20 individual Sandhill Cranes—the most of any of the five clusters in the valley that day. Encouraged by these results, TWI and other MIRCC members are working with ICF on the 2nd annual count in the Illinois River Valley, set for April 9, 2022.
“The recent recolonization of Sandhill Cranes to the Illinois River Valley is a celebration of the resilience of nature,” said George Archibald, ICF’s co-founder and senior conservationist. “The new annual volunteer Illinois River Valley Crane Count is a way for newcomers to experience these ancient and magnificent birds and to help monitor their welfare in ever-changing landscapes.”
For many people in the Midwest, the sight and sound of Sandhill Cranes migrating back north is one of their favorite signs of spring. The bird’s numbers have recovered dramatically since the early 1900s after dwindling due to overhunting and habitat loss. Their rebound provides a ray of hope for Whooping Cranes, which continue to be at risk of extinction.
Sandhill Cranes flying over the Dixon Refuge. Photo by Gary Sullivan/TWI.
ICF’s annual Midwest Crane Count is conducted each spring across six states, with volunteers arriving at their assigned survey point by 5:30 in the morning. They then record any cranes they see or hear for two hours, especially noting any potential crane nesting behavior including the “unison call” (which may indicate a breeding pair), courtship displays, or nest building. For the Illinois River Valley Crane Count, TWI and other participants are following the same protocols.
Sandhill Cranes need large, highly productive wetland areas for feeding and nesting. In recent years at the Dixon Refuge we’ve observed two to three nesting Sandhill pairs with young each spring, and the Illinois River Valley Crane Count will provide annual data to show whether cranes are finding enough resources for breeding along the river system as a whole.
A nesting Sandhill Crane at the Dixon Refuge. Photo by Gary Sullivan/TWI.
Along with the Dixon Refuge, sites for the Hennepin-area count include several private duck-hunting clubs, whose hospitality is helping us get a better picture of how cranes are using the area. In 2021, Sandhills were detected at six of the seven Hennepin-area survey points, and TWI Senior Ecologist Dr. Gary Sullivan even saw a pair of the four-foot-tall birds leaping in the air as part of a courtship dance near his point.
“Being out there before dawn was a memorable experience,” said Vera Leopold, TWI’s grants manager and the coordinator of the Hennepin-area count. “You could see the fog lift over the wetlands, watch the sun come up, and hear and see birds and wildlife becoming active. Hearing crane calls echoing across the river added to the wonder of the scene.”
Vera, Gary, and others will be out again before first light on April 9 along the Illinois River, hoping to hear a trumpeting call, glimpse a huge long-legged bird fly past, or—if they’re really lucky—witness a dance. And maybe one day it won’t be just Sandhills, but Whooping Cranes too.
To learn more about the Midwest Crane Count and check for a count near you, click here.