Whooping Crane
Grus americana

At nearly five feet tall, Whooping Cranes are the tallest birds that can be seen in the wild in North America. Adults of this imposing species have snowy white body feathers, with a red crown and a black mustache stripe. Black wingtips can be seen in flight. Males are slightly larger than females, but otherwise look similar. Juveniles can have rusty brown heads and brown spots on their backs. The common name of the species is probably derived from its guard calls.

The primary wild population of Whooping Cranes nests in the Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Canada, and winters on the Texas coast in and around the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Southward migration for this group typically starts with a two-day flight from the breeding spot to a staging area in Saskatchewan, where the birds remain for several weeks on grain fields and wetlands before rapidly flying within a week to Texas. Northbound migration can be as short as two weeks in all for experienced adults, but longer for subadults. They sometimes travel 400-500 miles nonstop. There is now a second wild population which breeds in Wisconsin and winters in the southeast US. Some of these eastern migratory cranes are banded, and you can track locations of banded individuals via https://whoopermap.savingcranes.org.

Too cold to put both legs down? Photo by Pamella Hopper

Whooping Cranes are monogamous, with females typically laying two eggs annually. Chicks are precocial and can walk and swim within a few hours after hatching. If both eggs hatch, usually only one chick survives to adulthood. Hatchlings stay with their parents in their first winter, and separate when northbound migration begins. Longevity in the wild is estimated to be between 20 and 30 years. The cranes are omnivorous, eating mollusks, crustaceans, aquatic insects, minnows, plant tubers, grain, frogs, and snakes. In the Aransas area, they particularly appear to like eating blue crabs.

Yum! Photo by Rajiv Jauhari

In 1941 there were fewer than 30 cranes left: around 15 wintering in Texas, and the rest part of a non-migratory group in Louisiana. The numbers fell so low probably because of hunting and loss of habitat. The good news is that the number of Whooping Cranes has been growing, helped by a concerted international conservation effort. As of 2024, the International Crane Foundation estimates that there are more than 800 (counting both wild and captive birds). If you haven’t yet had a chance to do so, visit the Aransas NWR area in winter and see if you can get a close look at these beautiful birds.

Juvenile Whooping Crane. Photo by Rajiv Jaurhari.

References:
https://birdsoftheworld.org
http://allaboutbirds.org
http://savingcranes.org

Feature Photo: Whooping Crane family by Pamella Hopper