Estonia records high crane numbers ahead of autumn migration
Estonia's Environment Agency, with help from volunteers, is monitoring gathering common cranes as they prepare for their southward migration. The species' population has grown sharply over recent decades.
As summer draws to a close in Estonia, common cranes are gathering in growing numbers ahead of their long flight south. The state Environment Agency, assisted by volunteers, is tracking these gatherings across the country.
Throughout the summer, cranes — usually seen in pairs or small groups — have been a familiar sight in open areas even near towns, their distinctive whooping calls a regular feature of the soundscape, including in early mornings. Now the flocks are swelling considerably, as birds that bred in Estonia are joined by others arriving from neighboring countries such as Finland and Russia, resting before continuing their journey.
Jaak Tammekänd, a specialist at the Environment Agency, explained that the birds use this period to build up energy reserves, essentially fattening up to reach peak condition so they can depart southward once favorable winds and weather arrive.
During winter, the cranes can be found in parts of North Africa, Turkey and southern Spain, with some traveling as far as China. Within Estonia, the largest concentrations occur in the Matsalu area and on the island of Saaremaa in the west, as well as in Lahemaa and Jõgeva County. In eastern, southeastern and southern Estonia, flocks tend to cluster near large bogs and wetlands, feeding in agricultural fields by day and roosting in wetlands overnight.
Nature enthusiasts can take part by counting cranes and logging their numbers and locations through the Environment Agency's nature observation app.
The common crane, Grus grus, has seen a remarkable recovery in Estonia, rising from around 300 pairs in the 1970s to an estimated 7,000–8,000 pairs in recent summers, though current counts are temporarily boosted by migrating birds passing through. The cranes typically leave Estonia entirely by October and begin returning from late February onward.
