A dead Sandhill Crane lies along a road east of Goose Pond WMA on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 near Linton, Indiana. The Indiana DNR confirmed that as many as 1500 sandhill cranes have already died from the highly contagious HPAI H5 outbreak in Indiana. Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian
The following information is from Dr. Diana Boon, Director of Conservation Medicine at the International Crane Foundation.
Due to the immediate threat of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), the International Crane Foundation recommends using extreme caution around sick or deceased wildlife, especially birds and cranes. Avian Influenza Updates & Resources
HPAI is a highly infectious disease of birds caused by type A strains of influenza virus. HPAI viruses can severely affect domestic and captive animals, wildlife, and are a potentially deadly risk to human health. Avian influenza mainly occurs in birds and is spread naturally by wild birds. A second strain is spread through poultry. A third type is affecting dairy cattle and is related to bird strains. All these strains are also being detected in wild mammals and mammals living on dairy farms.
Animal carcasses could be infected with HPAI and if not disposed of properly, HPAI can be transmitted from the deceased animal to humans, where it could spread to other family members or other animals.
“However, improper handling or disposal can lead to further spread of the disease. Only experienced professionals wearing Professional Protective Equipment should be involved in the removal of deceased birds or other wildlife that may have been exposed to HPAI.” Visit ICF HPAI resource page for ongoing updates.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) recently reported visibly ill and dead Sandhill Cranes in Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been initially confirmed in some of the dead birds including two from Barren River Lake in south central Kentucky. Both were sent to Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) for testing. Five sick birds on roost could still fly, and 20 dead cranes were found on the mudflats, in the trees/shoreline area, and floating in the water.
If you encounter a sick or dead crane please do not handle them!
The following excerpts are from the March 2023 Eastern Crane Bulletin Avian flu outbreak and its impact on the endangered Whooping Crane?(page 37) “We’ve had our eye on this problem since the early 2000s,” said Dr. Barry Hartup, Veterinarian and ICF Director of Conservation Medicine. “We got particularly involved in this in 2005 when there was a massive outbreak of wild birds in China.” Cranes are among the most endangered bird families in the world, with 10 out of 15 species threatened. So, an outbreak of disease can be devastating to already fragile populations.
“Outbreaks are like wildfires,” Hartup said. “These are small, hyper-propagation events. They are virtually impossible to predict or prevent in the wild.” The disease is spread when infected birds shed the virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Susceptible birds become infected when they encounter the virus as it is shed from infected birds or surfaces contaminated with the virus. Some birds carry the virus without getting sick. In other cases, it causes mass mortality.
As HPAI circulates, Hartup said Whooping Cranes will face additional risk during Spring and Fall migration – at stopovers along the migration route where the cranes will undoubtedly be in close proximity to waterfowl.
HPAI was also reported in 2023 in the non-migratory population of Sandhills in Florida. Florida bird flu cases increase, now include Sandhill Cranes, White Pelicans(page 38) Researchers at the University of Florida first reported the Sandhill Crane infection to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services earlier in January 2023. The bird was found on a private property in Gainesville during the week of January 9. Infected birds can spread the virus through saliva, nasal secretions, and feces, according to the commission.
To learn more, join the International Crane Foundation Director of Conservation Medicine, Diana Boon, DVM on Tuesday February 11 for a free webinar (registration required): Expert Updates: Bird flu status and resources with Diana Boon, DVM, ICF Director of Conservation Medicine
Bird flu—otherwise known as avian influenza—has been in the news due to major impacts to captive poultry flocks and dairy herds. But how does this virus affect wild birds and conservation efforts? Join our Director of Conservation Medicine, Diana Boon, DVM, to learn more about Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), how the virus is affecting bird populations, and how the International Crane Foundation stays prepared to look after cranes in human care and wild populations. Dr. Boon will share the status of the virus today and provide resources to keep you informed as the situation evolves.
Photo by Brett Hartl / Center for Biological Diversity
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are looking for leads regarding the shooting death of an endangered juvenile Whooping Crane found dead January 9, 2024 in an agricultural pond on the south side of Besi Lane in Mamou, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana. A necropsy determined that the crane had been shot, which resulted in a fractured spine and internal hemorrhaging.
A total of $20,000 is now being offered by various organizations for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the illegal killing of this Whooping Crane. The reward includes the USFWS offering up to $5,000, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation up to $2,500, the International Crane Foundation up to $2,500, and the Dallas Zoo up to $2,500, and $10,000 from the Center for Biological Diversity. While the Louisiana flock is designated as a non-essential, experimental population it is protected under state law, the Endangered Species Act, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
USFWS, LDWF and other state agencies began Louisiana’s reintroduction of Whooping Cranes in 2011 when a cohort of 10 juveniles were released at White Lake. The first chick hatched by the reintroduced cranes took place in 2016. In an effort to reintroduce the birds to the crane’s historic range, 167 Whooping Cranes have been released in Louisiana with 11 of those cranes known to have been killed by poachers. The Louisiana population is currently estimated to be 85 Whooping Cranes. This reintroduced population marked the first presence of Whooping Cranes in the wild in Louisiana since 1950. The juvenile crane killed had been raised in a captive breeding program at the Dallas Zoo and was released in Louisiana in November 2023.
“It’s frustrating,” Richard Dunn, a curator at Freeport McMoran Audubon Species Survival Center, told The Advocate. “It’s bad enough to hear a bird got predated or hit a power line. Something as simple as it got shot is what kills us the most.” The Survival Center, based in New Orleans, has worked to improve the Whooping Crane population by breeding and raising cranes to be reintroduced into the wild. State officials and groups like the Audubon Nature Institute have gone to great lengths to reintroduce the species. Each bird reintroduced into the wild takes months of care, and nearly $33,000 is spent caring per bird, Dunn said.
North America’s tallest bird, a male Whooping Cranes stands nearly 5 feet tall, with a wingspan of 7 feet. Their 5-foot-long coiled trachea allows the birds to give a loud single-note call, which is likely the origin of their name. The species can live 28 years in the wild, and mated pairs remain bonded for life. Whooping Cranes only occur in North America and of the 15 crane species found worldwide, are considered the most endangered.
Historically there were thought to be thousands (exact number unknown) of Whooping Cranes populating North America, but widespread loss of habitat for agriculture, and unregulated hunting caused their numbers to plummet to 15 birds by the 1940s. Listed as critically endangered, Whooping Cranes are slowly making a comeback. Today there are approximately 800 Whooping Cranes in Texas, Louisiana and Florida. This number includes the only remaining wild population in the world – one that migrates between breeding grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park, Alberta, Canada and wintering grounds at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and along coastal Texas; the reintroduced non-migratory population in Louisiana; the Eastern Migratory Population; several cranes remaining in Florida from an earlier attempt at reintroduction there, as well as individuals in captive breeding programs in Canada and North America.
Anyone with information about the shooting of the Whooping Crane should contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (985) 882-3756 or the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Lake Charles Office at (337) 491-2588. Callers can remain anonymous if they choose.
Pair of Sandhill Cranes. Photo courtesy of the American Bird Conservancy
Bird conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. America’s first Refuge, Pelican Island was established to help imperiled seabirds recover. Many of the Refuges in the Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest provide important habitat and stopovers for waterfowl. 50 million people visit Refuges every year for hiking, birding, hunting and fishing, camping, and reconnecting with nature.
And yet, many National Wildlife Refuges use unnecessarily toxic practices for growing crops on their lands. The hundreds of thousands of birds and other species that live on Refuges sometimes need a bit of a food boost to get through migrations and winters. To help with this, many Refuges grow crops like wheat, corn, and soy to help meet the needs of visiting and resident wildlife.
Unfortunately, many of these crops are grown with conventional synthetic pesticides. National Wildlife Refuges are vital conservation areas. The need to supplement some wildlife with additional food is scientifically sound, but birds visiting these Refuges for safety should not be exposed to unnecessary pesticides used for growing crops.
Please take action now! Tell Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to direct the US Fish and Wildlife Service to phase-out conventional pesticides from crop production on Refuges. https://abcbirds.org/program/pesticides/
Whooping Cranes #27-14, #1-11 and #14-15 with Sandhills at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Decatur Alabama. January 10, 2016. Photo by Mary Yandell
Celebrating 50 years of Crane Conservation Worldwide!
“Crossing continents. Spanning generations. Cranes know no boundaries, and neither do we. For 50 years, we’ve made it our mission to save cranes and their habitats while improving the lives of the people who consider these birds neighbors worldwide. Cranes aren’t just any bird – they’re an eco-diplomat that connects us all to each other and the places we call home.A neighbor like that is worth fighting for. We’ve made great progress in the past 50 years, but we’re just getting started. The work we do today impacts the world we leave to the next generation. Fly with us for the next 50 as we work to keep cranes as the cornerstone of our lives.”
– The International Crane Foundation Learn more at savingcranes.org
In 1973, two graduate students at Cornell University, Dr. George Archibald, and Dr. Ronald Sauey established the International Crane Foundation.
Since that time, the International Crane Foundation (ICF) has worked worldwide to conserve cranes and the ecosystems, watersheds, and flyways on which they depend. ICF provides 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 ICF 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 125 ICF 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, ICF 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.
Through the following video, visit some of the beautiful locations around the world that 15 crane species call home. Meet those working for the cranes they love – through education and preserving crucial ecosystems and waterways. To watch, “Where Cranes Dance, go here:https://youtu.be/qQ6yejsXkew
And, if you aren’t already a member, please consider becoming one! Visit savingcranes.org for more information and to support the work of ICF.
Graphic showing the total world population of Whooping Cranes – reflecting the recent shooting deaths of 4 of the Aransas-Wood Buffalo migratory population of Whooping Cranes while migrating through Oklahoma. Graphic courtesy of the International Crane Foundation
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are investigating the deaths— the result of an outrageous illegal shooting event. We are angry and heartsick. The International Crane Foundation, along with many partners, has invested millions of dollars and decades of time and expertise to bring Whooping Cranes back from the brink of extinction. And in an instant four birds are gone forever. We can’t bring back these four, but we can bring the perpetrators to justice. We can redouble our efforts to protect Whooping Cranes along their hazardous migration routes. We can expand our cooperative work with hunters and hunting groups to increase awareness of Whooping Crane presence. And we can continue to be the voice and act for Whooping Cranes on their wintering grounds in Texas and through reintroduction efforts in Wisconsin and Louisiana.
Earlier this week we shared the news that a proposal is under consideration by the USFWS to downlist Whooping Cranes from Endangered to Threatened. We are deeply concerned about this proposal if it moves forward. These four deaths illustrate just how fragile the recovery of this species remains. Please take action today with a contribution.
P.S. Decades of hard work and vigilance have kept Whooping Cranes alive on our planet, and each one of you decided to help along the way. Together, we are playing a lead role in the historic comeback of Whooping Cranes. It is our collective legacy.
One Whooping Crane was discovered by hunters who notified game wardens with ODWC. The Whooping Crane subsequently died while being transported to a veterinarian clinic. Additional evidence was recovered at the scene. The USFWS’s Wildlife Forensics Laboratory conducted a necropsy and verified the cause of death as a shotgun wound.
Further investigation of the original crane’s location uncovered evidence of three additional Whooping Cranes, bringing the total loss to four. All of the deaths are being investigated by ODWC and USFWS law enforcement officers.
“This is sickening to see such a wanton waste of wildlife, and our Game Wardens are very eager to visit with the individual or individuals who committed this crime,” said Wade Farrar, Assistant Chief of Law Enforcement with the Wildlife Department. “Somebody out there knows something that will help in this investigation, and I trust that they will do the right thing and come forward.”
Whooping Cranes are an endangered species with a total population of approximately 500 birds in North America. Whooping Cranes are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act. A conviction for killing a Whooping Crane can carry up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine per person under the Endangered Species Act, and up to six months in jail and a $15,000 fine under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Reward Offered For Information
Anyone with information regarding the deaths of these Whooping Cranes is asked to contact the Wildlife Department’s Operation Game Thief at (918) 331-5555 or the USFWS’ Office of Law Enforcement in Fort Worth, Texas, at (817) 334-5202. Callers with information may remain anonymous.
Operation Game Thief, the Oklahoma Game Warden Association, ODWC’s Wildlife Diversity Program and the USFWS are offering cash rewards for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of these endangered cranes.
Whooping Cranes travel through Oklahoma during migrations to and from their breeding grounds in Texas. Most Whooping Crane sightings in Oklahoma are reported from mid-October through November. Whooping Crane sightings can be shared with the Wildlife Department online.
***** FOTWW’s mission is to help preserve and protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo population of wild whooping cranes and their habitat. *****
Buried in the Biden administration’s unified regulatory agenda released last week is a plan by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to weaken or end protections for several iconic species, including Whooping Crane, Key deer and Florida panther.
The upcoming proposed rules could spell disaster for these three animals, notes a letter sent today to the Biden administration by the Center for Biological Diversity. Both the Whooping Crane and Key Deer are at severe risk from sea-level rise and climate change. The Florida Panther remains one of the most endangered cat populations in the world.
“It’s a gut punch that the Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking to weaken protections for Whooping Cranes and Key Deer, when both species’ homes could be underwater in decades,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center. “And it’s appalling that the Fish and Wildlife Service is even considering moving forward with a Trump-era plan to reduce protections for the Florida Panther just to enrich special interest real-estate developers.”
Most of Big Pine Key — the biggest stronghold of the Florida Key deer — will be under water in decades because of sea-level rise caused by climate change, and the deer’s habitat is increasingly imperiled by more frequent and more intense hurricanes. In addition to habitat loss, the Key deer is threatened by the New World screwworm, which killed more than 10% of the entire population in 2016.
The Service’s own recovery plan calls for at least 1,000 wild cranes before downlisting to threatened status can occur, but the population today remains at only half that — 506 individuals.
The only wild, free-flying Whooping Crane population winters along the Texas coast around the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, which is also threatened by sea-level rise. The crane is also jeopardized by pesticides, powerline collisions, oil spills and habitat loss. The Service’s own recovery plan calls for at least 1,000 wild cranes before downlisting to threatened status can occur, but the population today remains at only half that — 506 individuals.
Records released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request show that the Fish and Wildlife Service regional office decided to begin the process of reducing panther protections in 2018 by downlisting them to threatened. That was years before the agency completed an official five-year review or species status assessment, neither of which are finished yet.
There are only approximately 200 Florida panthers in the world — that’s about half the size of the Siberian tiger population, which the International Union for Conservation of Nature ranks as critically endangered.
“The Fish and Wildlife Service is thumbing its nose at President Biden’s directive to federal agencies to follow the best available science in all decisions, especially those relating to climate change,” said Hartl. “We’d hoped that the horrific anti-wildlife tactics so often employed during the Trump era had ended, but it appears we were wrong.”
Even before the Trump administration, the Fish and Wildlife Service routinely ranked among the worst agencies in terms of concerns about political interference undermining the scientific process. In a 2015 survey, 73% of responding Fish and Wildlife Service scientists reported that the level of consideration of political interests was too high.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.Contact: Brett Hartl, (202) 817-8121, bhartl@biologicaldiversity.org
KY Coalition for Sandhill Cranes 