Another record population of endangered whooping cranes is expected to arrive soon to winter on the Texas coast. Texans are asked to be on the lookout for whoopers passing through north and central Texas in the next few weeks. A record 49 nests were found in the breeding grounds in northern Canada this summer, and 24 chicks were found during an August survey. Once breeding in wetlands scattered across northern North America and wintering from the mountains of Mexico to the Carolinas, the whooping cranes that winter in Texas represent the only breeding wild population. A reintroduction experiment in the Rocky Mountain region failed, and captive-bred whoopers introduced into central Florida over the last few years have not yet successfully reproduced.
Whooping cranes are the tallest birds in North America, standing over four feet tall.
They fly with necks and legs outstretched. During migration they often pause overnight to use wetlands for roosting and agricultural fields for feeding, but seldom remain more than one night. Aransas National Wildlife Refuge -Jan. Whooping Cranes at the Aransas Refuge -Jan. Whooping cranes are protected by federal and state endangered species laws, and Texans can help safeguard this Texas treasure by helping to prevent harm or harassment to whooping cranes.