"Once elusive inhabitants of remote wetlands, sandhill cranes can now be found thriving in yards, athletic fields, and college campuses".
"Trumpeting calls echoed across the bustling University of Wisconsin campus in Madison. A pair of sandhill cranes had taken up residence in the local marsh. Throughout the summer, the pair and their two tawny chicks could be seen meandering across the campus’ lawns and playing fields, seemingly unfazed by the steady stream of bikes and cars and the throngs of ogling onlookers snapping photos.
Urban crane sightings, such as those on the University of Wisconsin campus, are no anomaly. The towering four-foot-tall birds are now routinely found in athletic fields, cemeteries, and backyards throughout Wisconsin. But this wasn't always the case.
Sandhill cranes have graced this planet for millions of years. However, nearly a century ago, the species was on the verge of extinction. In Wisconsin alone, only a few dozen breeding pairs remained. They had become so rare that conservationist Aldo Leopold lamented their impending demise in A Sand County Almanac. Thankfully, Leopold’s predictions did not come to pass—habitat restoration and hunting reform ultimately saved sandhill cranes, allowing their populations to rebound in Wisconsin and throughout their range.
Today, sandhill crane populations are booming. According to the International Crane Foundation, a whopping 1.7 million sandhill cranes inhabit North America with over 100,000 in the eastern population, which mostly breed in Wisconsin or pass through the state on their way to breeding grounds in Ontario, Canada. The species’ dramatic recovery has led them to be hailed as one of America’s greatest conservation success stories. It has also brought them into much closer contact with people."
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