Birding enthusiasts in Indiana have been struck by the loss of an estimated 1,500 Sandhill Cranes. The deaths of the popular birds has been attributed to Avian Influenza, or bird flu, by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

The cranes congregate in several areas of the state including west of South Bend, Indiana where they have access to open water and food. Some winter in the area along with isolated areas of Southern Michigan instead of migrating south for the winter.

The Indiana DNR’s Marty Benson said in a short message to Newsmax that the total number of stricken cranes is not known. The department estimates 1,500 in total, with at least 100 in an area surrounding the frozen Fish Lake in the Northwest corner of the state. He pointed to a department press release in January that indicated widespread incidents of bird flu detected in wild birds throughout a ten-county area.

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