Where are the Whoopers? Use our NEW interactive map to locate your favorite birds in the eastern population. The highlighted counties indicate the location of one or more cranes – click on each county to see who is there and learn more about each bird.
In 2015, I worked with fellow researchers at the International Crane Foundation to publish a paper in the Journal of Field Ornithology titled “Changes in the number and distribution of Greater Sandhill Cranes in the Eastern Population” (download the original article). We used data from annual bird surveys to explore the substantial changes in the Sandhill Crane population size and distribution from 1966 to 2013.
Whooping Crane 16-11 (Grasshopper) with chicks 73-18 and 74-18 have begun migration and are in Jasper County, Indiana.
Below is the most recent update for the Eastern Migratory Population of Whooping Cranes. In the last month, Whooping Cranes have left Wisconsin and many have reached their wintering locations, while many birds are still on the move! A huge thank-you to the staff of the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Natural Resources, the International Crane Foundation, and all of the volunteers who help us keep track of the cranes throughout the year. We appreciate your contribution to the recovery of the Whooping Crane Eastern Migratory Population.
Six wild-hatched Whooping Crane chicks in Wisconsin survived to flight stage in 2018, the most since the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership began restoring a migratory population of the endangered birds in the eastern United States.
The good news comes as the number of endangered wild Whooping Cranes in the west topped the 500 mark, with an estimated 505 Whoopers in a population that migrates from nesting grounds at Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada to winter habitat in Aransas, Texas.
“The haunting calls of the world’s cranes are sadder today because they have lost a devoted friend, and the conservation community has lost a true hero.” ~ Kenneth Strom, National Audubon Society
On September 19, 2018, we lost a dear friend and champion for the conservation of cranes and wetlands, Jim Harris.
Our South African Drakensberg team completed the KwaZulu-Natal crane aerial survey in August in collaboration with our partners Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. One of the main observations we made during the survey were larger numbers and flocks of Wattled Cranes with much fewer breeding pairs.
Grasshopper and Hemlock’s two chicks explore Horicon Marsh after their release.
Media contact: Anne Lacy, Crane Research Coordinator, 608-356-9462 ext.146
Baraboo, Wis. – A reintroduction success story took place this past weekend, when a Whooping Crane family returned to Wisconsin, flown North courtesy of Windway Capital Corp. of Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
It is a day to learn about endangered species and how we can help protect them. In celebration of the 13th annual Endangered Species Day on May 18, 2018, we created this “top ten” list about Whooping Cranes to help you learn more about this imperiled – and endangered – species:
