WHOOPING CRANE

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Dr. Jacob Faust

Grus americana

Federal Status: Endangered (March 11, 1967; June 2, 1970; January 22, 1993)
State Status: Endangered (December 20, 1989)

Description: Very large, long-necked wading bird. Adults are unmistakable, being mostly white with black primaries and distal secondaries. Crown red and cheeks reddish-black, both unfeathered. Base of bill pink; legs black. Juveniles whitish with cinnamon-brown mot fling on back and wings; head completely feathered and brownish; wingtips black. Adults are the tallest birds in North America; to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) total length. Wingspread to 2.3 m (7.5 ft). Plumage color similar to American White Pelican. Wood Stork is also similar but entire head and neck naked, and bill decurved and stout at base. Superficially resembles the much smaller Snow Goose in flight. Immature resembles immature Sandhill Crane. Found in small family groups, unlike Sandhill Cranes. Flies with neck and legs outstretched.

Habitat: Coastal prairie.

Distribution: Formerly nested in prairie region of U.S. and Canada, and in the coastal prairies of Texas and Louisiana. Now restricted to south-central Mackenzie and adjacent northern Alberta, Canada. Winters near coast of southern Texas, on and near Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Introduced in Idaho (no nesting to date); that flock winters primarily in central New Mexico. Formerly a common winter resident and rare nester in the coastal prairies of southwestern Louisiana; extirpated by 1950. Because the Canadian/Aransas population is increasing in size, migrants should be looked for in southwestern Louisiana.

Reasons for decline:

1. Breeding and wintering habitat have been reduced as a result of wetland drainage, agriculture, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and human encroachment.
2. Losses of Whooping Cranes from hunting were particularly acute on the Gulf Coast wintering grounds.
3. Natural factors such as large nesting territories and a very low reproductive rate of one chick per year per nesting pair make recovery slow.
4. The Louisiana population was non-migratory and was reduced by 50% during a hurricane in 1940 and never recovered.

March 2004

Conservation efforts:

1. Annual winter searches in southwest Louisiana parishes for the species.
2. Prevent exposure of Aransas population to disease outbreaks.
3. Alert key areas along migration routes and wintering areas.