Facts About the Whooping Crane
INTRODUCTION
The Whooping Crane is the tallest bird currently living within the United States. In the 1940’s this species of bird declined to around 20 birds within North America, of these birds 15 were migrated between Texas and Canada with the remaining few staying year round in Louisiana.
The drastic decline that almost erased this bird from the earth was due to hunting and a loss of suitable habitat. Through captive breeding, trained migration, and good wetland management; there are now over 600 Whooping Cranes in the United States today.
All of today’s Whooping Cranes are descendants of the small flock that breeds in Texas (440 living in the wild and 160 in captivity).