Staying Alert: The link between habitat, weather, and vigilance in nesting Whooping Cranes

Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) are a long-lived species, and in the wild, they can live for 25-30 years and begin breeding at two to three years of age. Once breeding, an individual crane will lay one to two eggs per nesting attempt and typically raise one chick each year. Unfortunately, this can make the species more vulnerable to individual losses in the population when compared to birds that lay large clutches and raise multiple chicks each year.