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Order: Gruiformes Family: Gruidae Chick Type : Subprecocial (Parental attendance and some parental nourishment) Historically, Whooping Cranes (Whoopers) could be found as west as eastern Idaho and along the Atlantic coast, but currently they can be found in the wild in five spots (Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) , Wood Buffalo National Park, Louisana, Wisconsin & Central Florida) and stop overs on their migration routes. The largest population breeds in Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada and then migrates to Aransas NWR (Texas). A second introduced population (non-migratory) was estabished in Central Florida, but is now deemed non-viable and no new birds are being introduced in that population. A third population is being formed in Wisconsin. This population will migrate to Central Florida (a mixture of Direct Autumn Release birds & ultralight birds). The newest population is a non-migratory population in Louisana. Currently, there are around 400 Whooping Cranes living in the wild. A drought in Texas as claimed the lives of 23 of the 270 Wood Buffalo population in 2009. This is still a huge number considering that there were only 21 (15-16 in Woods Buffalo NP & 6 in Louisiana) birds in 1941 (Canadian Wildlife Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2007). Cranes are omnivorous; they are often seen in fields foraging for plant matter such as acorns, grain, tubers. They will also take invertebrates and small vertebrates, such as small snakes,fish and frogs. In their wintering grounds, Whooping Cranes eat a lot of marine invertbrates such as blue crabs and clams (Canadian Wildlife Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2007). With all cranes, they form pair bonds, and usually breed in the same places year after year. Crane dances are as choreographed as any music video. Mound nests are made of vegetation that's collected by the adults. These mounds are often constructed in shallow water. The clutch consists of one or two eggs. Crane chicks are known as 'colts.' They are born with natal down and are able to walk soon after hatching. Because they are the tallest birds in North America, adult Whoopers have very few aerial predators. The Golden Eagle is probably the only bird of prey that pose a threat to adult Whooping Cranes. Terrestrial predators include wolves and bobcats. Human related mortality such as powerlines, illegal shooting (3-4 killed in 2003-2004, 4 killed in 2010) and muskrat traps (1 death) have all cause adult Whooper mortality (Canadian Wildlife Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2007). This endangered species is considered the flagship of the North America wildlife conservation movement, yet reintroduction efforts are no better off than they were 20 years ago. Several national and nonprofit agencies work together on saving it (Canadian Wildlife Service, Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, Parks Canada Agency, US Fish & Wildlife Service, AZA's Gruiformes TAG, Texas Parks & Wildlife, International Crane Foundation, WWF, Operation Migration). With some more hard work, we should be able to achieve its recovery objectives (Canadian Wildlife Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2007). Please download a copy of the Whooping Crane International Recovery Plan from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services and also check out the Wisconsin Whooping Crane Management Plan. |
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