Where are our Cranes?
- Ed Bell
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Edward Bell | Crane Count Coordinator
Editor’s note: In this article, author Edward Bell notes that records of Sarus Crane date back to 1967. This coincides with the discovery in October 1966 of Sarus Crane near the Cape of Carpentaria, by Mrs HB (Billie) Gill. This discovery was then followed up in 1967. For background, readers might find interesting an article by Rob Reed and Jean Ffrench, published in Contact Call on 12 December 2023: “The Remarkable Discovery of the Sarus Crane in the Gulf of Carpentaria by a Most Remarkable Woman”.
Jennifer H Muir
As winter approaches each year, I begin to suffer from a rare birding affliction that I have self-diagnosed as ‘crane-brain’….
Its symptoms include, but are not limited to: ignoring the rich and diverse birdlife present in the Mabi and rainforests of the Atherton Tablelands; hyper-focusing on crops and crop cycles; and scanning distant paddocks for ghostly grey blobs. This is while driving the many highways and side roads that criss-cross the region (frequently stopping with little notice, much to the worry of anyone sitting in the passenger seat).

You might ask why do I do all of this? Well, I’m the Crane Count Coordinator. While I initially took on this responsibility several years ago, as an opportunity to learn some new skills, it has become now a part of my life and has even taken me to Papua New Guinea (PNG).
The Crane Count is one of the longest running citizen science projects in Australia, now entering its 27th year. The Atherton Tablelands has hosted both species of Australia’s cranes with records dating back to around the 1920’s for Brolga and 1967 for Sarus.
It was observed that both species tended to arrive in the non-breeding season, and this provided the opportunity to try and count them while they congregated at their evening roosts.

The numbers fluctuate from year to year, and it was noted that prior to the Crane Count starting, early records indicated a larger percentage of Brolgas on the central Atherton Tablelands. This began to shift towards Sarus which prompted Elinor Scambler to instigate the first systematic synchronous counts.
So, this brings me back to the question, “Where are our Cranes?”
Each year in the weeks leading up to the Crane Count I comb through eBird and Birdata sightings. I then begin driving around looking for flocks to ascertain some early rough numbers, as well as where they are feeding, as we believe this can play a part in their choice of roost site. I then try to visit as many roosts as I can to see which are active each year.
This year however while there have been a few big flocks sighted, the numbers seem to be lower overall. This isn’t a cause for alarm as there are many factors at play, most of which we don’t fully understand yet. These factors could include a delay in departure from the Gulf of Carpentaria, where they breed, due to the late wet season, or possibly a change in distribution due to a difference in crops sewn and harvested over the past five years.
But if we wish to begin to understand these patterns, we really need more data, and this is where you come in.
I’d love to see more records for both species appearing on Birdata or eBird, whichever you prefer! Many people may be quick to say, “I was driving to Atherton the other day and saw loads in a paddock,” but that is hard to quantify.
So really, I’m asking that while cranes may not be your target bird, if you see any cranes and you have the time and it’s safe to do so, please could you pull over and do a quick count. If they are close to the road I recommend staying in the car as it acts like a sort of bird hide: they can be a bit flighty!
If you want to help even more, I’m always looking for people to help monitor some of the main roosts throughout the winter. I can give you a location and you can visit as often as you can (even just once) and record how many cranes are there as dusk approaches, as this helps guide how I plan the main Crane Count each year.
The count is on 6 and 7 September this year – the 6th being the main day where we cover Mareeba to Ravenshoe / Tumoulin. On the 7th we run a smaller count around the Innot Hot springs area.
To register for the main count please visit:
If you wish to help monitor sites in the lead-up to the count, please email cranecountfnq@gmail.com
Thanks, and I hope you do become afflicted by ‘crane brain’ – in a good way!