Indiana DNR: 1,500 Sandhill Cranes Affected by Bird Flu

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says it continues to detect highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds throughout the state and across the Region. The Indiana DNR said counties where avian influenza has been detected in wild birds currently are Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, Benton, Boone, Clinton, Decatur, Gibson, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Huntington, Jackson, Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Marion, Newton, Pike, Porter, Randolph, Ripley, Shelby, Starke, Tippecanoe, Union, Vanderburgh, and Vermillion. A news release said bird flu is also suspected in an additional 32 counties based on reports involving the deaths of raptors, cranes, and waterfowl. In an update Monday March 3, 2025, the DNR said more than 1,500 sandhill cranes have been affected by the virus since January, resulting in a large number of sandhill crane deaths in LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, and Starke counties in northwest Indiana and Greene, Jackson, and Union counties downstate.