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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 four spots (Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) , Wood Buffalo National Park, Wisconsin & Central Florida) and stop overs on their migration route. The largest population breeds in Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada and then migrates to Aransas NWR (Texas). A second population (non-migratory) is being estabished in Central Florida. A third population is being formed at Necedah NWR in Wisconsin. This population will migrate to Chassohowitzka NWR, Florida (a mixture of Direct Autumn Release birds & ultralight birds). Today there are around 377 Whooping Cranes living in the wild (as of April, 2008 - www.whoopingcrane.com), this is 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 enemies. Human related mortality such as powerlines, illegal shooting (3-4 killed in 2003-2004) and muskrat traps (1 death) have all cause adult Whooper mortality (Canadian Wildlife Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2007). On top of all this, the species is in danger of losing genetic diversity. This endangered species is considered the flagship of the North America wildlife conservation movement. 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. Check out the International Crane Foundation's Crane Library, with many ebooks, husbandry manuals, proceedings from crane workshops, dissertations & theses and various crane periodicals. |
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