An official with the Department of Natural Resources says this is the first time the virus has felled the majestic birds.

Though not every dead crane is being tested for bird flu, Indiana state officials confirmed that was the cause, Leone said. He said dozens of other geese and ducks have also been killed.

In Indiana, more than 1,500 sandhill cranes were found dead due to the highly contagious bird flu strain H5N1. The […] ...

which is included in the county total of 500 dead birds in Jackson County. Authorities said the reported number is likely an underestimate. "There's not very much they can do, because this virus just ...

Sandhill cranes are the most numerous of the crane species in the United States, drawing tens of thousands of tourists annually to festivals and bird-watching excursions across the Midwest. The ...