COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Sporting gray feathers, a long neck, and a distinctive patch of red on their forehead, sandhill cranes — one of the oldest living bird species — are reportedly seeing population growth in Ohio, despite once being locally extinct.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources conducted its annual sandhill crane count in April during nesting season. Volunteers spent two hours surveying designated areas in counties with ample wetlands to support the birds, according to the agency.
In the 2025 crane count, released this month, volunteers observed 428 cranes throughout 24 of the 31 counties surveyed. This shows a 4% increase compared with last year’s count, when 412 cranes were found in 26 out of 32 counties surveyed.
“We have a lot of great habitat in Ohio, and we’ve done a good job in recent years with restoring more wetlands and conserving the wetlands,” Will Babb, a publications editor with the ODNR’s Division of Wildlife, said. “It’s just really good to see this crane population continuing to grow.”
The five counties with the most sandhill cranes reported in this year’s count were Wayne (101), Lucas (97), Ottawa (59), Geauga (51) and Sandusky (19). Wayne County features Killbuck Marsh and Funk Bottoms wildlife areas, while Lucas, Ottawa and Sandusky counties contain Lake Erie marshes, which offer prime breeding habitat for the animals, according to the ODNR.
While the birds are not as common in central Ohio compared with other areas of the state, some were spotted in Delaware (4), Franklin (10), Knox (4) and Pickaway (4) counties in this year’s count.
“We don’t have a ton of sandhill cranes that breed in central Ohio, but we certainly have a lot more that migrate through the area,” Babb said. “So fall, winter, and then very early spring, a lot of sandhill cranes from surrounding states and elsewhere in the state migrate through the central Ohio region.”
There are not many places in central Ohio that have the proper habitat to support breeding sandhill cranes. However, Babb said they have been known to reside at Pickerington Ponds Metropark, which spans parts of Franklin and Fairfield counties; Big Island Wildlife Area in Marion County; and Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area, located in Wyandot and Marion counties.
Sandhill cranes, which are native to Ohio, breed and live in wet areas like marshes and bogs. They are among the oldest known living bird species on the planet, with the oldest definitive fossil dating back 2.5 million years, according to the ODNR.
The omnivorous birds can grow up to about four feet in length, with wingspans up to seven feet and weights reaching 11 pounds. They are known for their distinctive rattling calls that can be heard for miles, and their unique mating dance, which features stretching, leaping and bowing, according to the National Park Service.
Sandhill cranes disappeared from Ohio in the 1930s due to habitat loss and unregulated hunting. In 1987, a breeding pair was discovered in Wayne County, and the species’ population has since continued to grow. The ODNR currently lists the cranes as a “threatened” species, meaning it’s not in immediate jeopardy but is at risk of becoming endangered.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife has conducted its annual sandhill crane count since 2021. More cranes have been observed each year since the count commenced, which is a trend Babb partially attributes to expanded surveying efforts, as the first one only included five counties.
In 2021, 160 cranes were found across the five counties. In 2022, 311 cranes were found across the 26 counties surveyed, and in 2023, 357 cranes were found across the 30 counties surveyed.
To help support sandhill cranes in the state, Babb said residents can report sightings through the online platform eBird to help the division track the population, as well as buying the ODNR’s Wildlife Legacy Stamp, since purchases support conservation efforts.
Alongside sandhill cranes, multiple other species are seeing population growth in Ohio, including black bears, bald eagles and bobcats, the state department’s data indicates.
