In Texas, they eat shellfish, snakes, acorns, small fish and wild fruit. Whooping cranes mate for life. In early spring, adults display elaborate courtship rituals, bobbing, weaving, jumping and calling with their mates. The female lays two large eggs and both adults incubate them for the next month. The eggs hatch at different times and the second chick is often pushed out of the nest or starved.
Chicks can swim as soon as they hatch.
They can fly within 80-90 days. The number one cause of death of adult cranes is collisions with power lines during migration. Other factors include industrial, agricultural and recreational developments which encroach on wintering and migration rest areas. However, Aransas is next to an intercoastal waterway with heavy commercial barge traffic. Wildlife biologists want to establish new populations to ensure the species couldn't be wiped out by an oilspill there.