By: Karen Menard 

“When we hear his call, we hear no mere bird. We hear the trumpet in the orchestra of evolution.”
- Aldo Leopold

For eons, the rolling, bugle-like, gaarr-oooo sounds of the majestic Sandhill Crane, have echoed across the landscape. This infinite resonance powerfully emanates from the depths of a primeval, looped windpipe so lengthy-- that if stretched, is longer than its whole body.

With fossil records dating back to the Eocene period of geologic time, cranes as a group are considered to be living dinosaurs, and sandhills hold the record as the oldest living bird species at around 2.5 million years! Over time, their trumpets have sounded strongly across vast North American prairies and wetlands, intermingling with other loud orchestral cadences that include booming prairie chickens, rumbling flocks of now extinct passenger pigeons, and the drumming of the long-gone ivory-billed woodpecker.

Today, as the rising sun lifts the curtain of fog over a restored wetland, the sandhill’s voice greets another moment of dawn. Bugling its unique marshland melody, its calls eventually erupt into tune with waking swans, blackbirds, geese, and ducks. Standing witness to the disappearance of species and habitats throughout history, the music of the noble sandhill still continues as part of our planet’s universal ensemble, thanks to conservation efforts.

Through land acquisition, wildlife conservation, corridor connections and habitat restoration, sandhill cranes are no longer extirpated from Ohio. They are still considered a state-threatened species, but in the last decade, counts show that their population has been rebounding. In fact, Lucas County ranked second in the top five counties for the April, 2024 Ohio Crane Count, at 56.

Restoration efforts in our region have certainly led to success, as this species requires large tracts of wet meadows or shallow marshes. Located within the western part of Lucas County, Oak Openings Region sites such as the recent Secor Metropark expansion area and nearby Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve have actually shown that they are producing young. In addition, sandhills have also been seen frequenting The Nature Conservancy’s Sandhill Crane Wetland site nearby [Explore]. 

To the east—the expansive, restored Howard Marsh, along Lake Erie is another great place to experience them at times, and to be serenaded by the many species of wetland birds that now call that park “home.” 

Photo: Art Weber

Video: Irwin State Nature Preserve: Jon Zabowski

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Did You Know?

The autumn season is a great time to view sandhill cranes in large numbers as they gather in groups to roost at certain favorite fall “staging” areas. Haehnle Marsh in Jackson [Explore], Michigan is a good site to visit at sunrise or sunset. Recently, over 1,500 cranes were counted there.