More than a thousand volunteers will help the 44th Annual Midwest Crane Count hosted by the International Crane Foundation. Ann Shult is the DeKalb County Coordinator for the count.
She says the Midwest is home to two popular types of cranes--the Sandhill and the Whooping Crane. Shult says the cranes have unique characteristics.
“The Whooping Cranes tend to be white in color, they have whiter feathers, where the adult Sandhill’s tend to have a darker grey/brown body color,” Shult explained.
Sandhill Cranes nearly disappeared in Wisconsin, but they have since recovered and are slowly recovering in nearby states. She says the count is an important step in monitoring these birds.
“Basically observing the abundance and distribution of the cranes and making sure the populations are staying healthy," Shult said.
An information session will be held for new volunteers April 8th at the DeKalb Public Library.
- Mike Roberts is a graduate of WNIJ's Public Radio 101program