If you're looking to get out and about for a weekend in April, how does a morning of counting birds sound to you?
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife is looking for volunteers to participate in the state’s upcoming fifth annual Midwest Crane Count.
Scheduled for April 12, the Division of Wildlife says 33 Ohio counties with suitable habitats will be part of this year's event. The birds often nest in wet meadows, shallow marshes, bogs and other wetlands.
A sandhill crane is "a tall wading bird characterized by a long neck and bill," according to ODNR. It is mostly gray with a red patch on its forehead. It makes a distinctive sound similar to a rolling bugle call."
Across the country, over 2,000 volunteers from seven upper Midwest states are expected, according to the International Crane Foundation. The other six states participating include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The Division of Wildlife, its partners and volunteers will count the birds, which are a threatened species in Ohio.
Counts will take place in the following Northeast Ohio counties: Ashtabula, Columbiana, Erie, Geauga, Holmes, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas and Trumbull, according to the Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative.
For a full list of counties and information on how to participate, click here.
Sandhill cranes disappeared from the state before resurfacing in Wayne County in 1987, ODNR said Monday in a media release. In the years since, the population has grown steadily, reaching 412 cranes in 32 Ohio counties in 2024. A quarter of those, 106, were in Wayne County.
The 2024 population reflects a 260% increase from 2021, the first year Ohio surveyed, when the Division of Wildlife counted 160 birds across five counties, according to an Ideastream analysis of ODNR figures.
The Division of Wildlife says volunteers will be expected to scout an area rain or shine the morning of the count. It will provide a virtual training and review of survey protocols to train volunteers.
ODNR estimates volunteers will spend about two hours outdoors the day of the count and a vehicle is also required to participate.
