Baker Sanctuary, Calhoun Co., Michigan, USA

Inset map Baker Sanctuary, located in northwest Calhoun County, is a Michigan Audubon sanctuary. There is a resident manager for the land as well as a governing board who manage the area. The local (Battle Creek) Michigan Audubon chapter, Brigham Audubon Society, is the sanctuary steward. Both financial and volunteer public support are essential to its continued maintenance.

Contributions to Baker Sanctuary can be made through Michigan Audubon.

Trails

Crane Viewing

Michigan Audubon, established in 1904, is Michigan's oldest conservation organization. It has worked through the years to study and preserve wild birds, plants, animals and their habitats as well as enlighten the public of their importance.

Contributions to Baker Sanctuary can be made through Michigan Audubon.



Sandhill Crane at Baker Sanctuary ® Roy Van Loo, Jr. 2006

Greater Sandhill Crane

Among the world's oldest living bird species, the Greater Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) stands four to five feet tall with a wing span up to seven feet. Baker Sanctuary, Michigan Audubon's first sanctuary and America's first crane sanctuary, is a nesting area and migratory staging area for Michigan's largest bird.
SANDHILL CRANE INFORMATION

Hear Crane Calls

2009 Crane Count: 9,382

November 2, 2009 – The official USFWS count of Greater Sandhill Cranes (grus canadensis) at Baker Sanctuary began at 2:00 PM EST under partly cloudy skies with a variable breeze of 5-15 MPH and a temperature of 53º F. The count concluded at 6:02 PM EST with mostly overcast skies, a full moon, a slight breeze, and a temperature of 46º F. The total number of cranes counted by eight independent counters and spotters was the largest number of cranes ever counted at Baker Sanctuary, 9,382. This establishes a new state record for the largest single-day Greater Sandhill Crane population at any single Michigan location!

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