Date: 10/9/26 10:49 am From: Ferraro, Emily <0000022a544a5dba-dmarc-request...> Subject: Fall Sandhill Crane Survey in Pennsylvania
Hello PA Birders,
Each fall, the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) requests assistance from experienced birders with the annual U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Fall Sandhill Crane Survey. This year's survey will be conducted from October 19-28th. If you are interested in participating, please see the details below describing the survey protocol and data submission steps.
We encourage you to participate and spread the word to other birders! Thank you for your interest and dedication to PA's birds.
Each fall, the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) requests assistance from experienced birders with the annual U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Fall Sandhill Crane Survey. We again ask the state's birders to help with this survey. We thank the birding community for participating in past surveys and submitting Sandhill Crane observations in eBird. These data help agencies better understand the expansion of this species in the East and how cranes use Pennsylvania habitats.
This year, the crane survey will be conducted from October 19 - 28. Last year, a total of 423 cranes were observed in the October/November 2025 survey period. This marks Pennsylvania's highest sandhill crane count since this survey began in 2013, surpassing the previous record of 310 cranes recorded in 2024. In 2025, 13 counties were surveyed including: Crawford, Bradford, Adams, Columbia, Dauphin, Susquehanna, Luzerne, Wayne, Pike, Lackawanna, York, Sullivan, and Wyoming.
Counts are best conducted within 30 minutes after sunrise or 30 minutes before sunset. If dawn/dusk surveys are not possible, cranes can be tallied during the day as they forage in small groups. Sites can be surveyed once. Information about the survey can be found below and on the PGC website under "Birding and Bird Conservation". If you know of a gathering of cranes at a fall staging area, we'd appreciate hearing from you. Don't assume someone else will report a local sighting. If you observe zero cranes in your survey, please record this! Every observation is important, including no-crane observations!
Sandhill Cranes can linger in PA as late as December and beyond, so it can be an exciting challenge to search for cranes throughout the year. The background information, protocol and data sheet are available at: https://www.pgc.pa.gov/InformationResources/GetInvolved/SandhillCraneSurvey/Pages/SurveyMethods.aspx. Survey sheets can be printed from this webpage and mailed to the address provided. Online reporting is also available through the website here: Sandhill Crane Fall Survey<https://pgcforms.pa.gov/SandhillCraneFallSurvey/>. We encourage you to spread the word to other birders. PGC staff also participate in the surveys, but volunteer assistance greatly expands the effort and coverage of Pennsylvania's Sandhill Crane surveys. Please contact <sandhillcranes...><mailto:<sandhillcranes...> if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you
Your assistance in this effort will provide an important "snapshot" of the distribution of cranes statewide and will help track population trends over time. We are eager to learn more about the distribution of Pennsylvania's cranes, habitats used during the staging period, and the current ratio of juveniles to adults. In addition to the official FWS Sandhill Crane survey, Pennsylvania birders are invited to look for Sandhill Cranes throughout the year and enter these sightings into eBird. All of this information will help us better understand the distribution of cranes across their annual cycle in the East.
