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Anyone who wonders whether the effort to save endangered cranes can really do any good should know the story of the Whooping crane (Grus americana). The Whooper is a majestic white crane with black and red markings. At 5 to 5 ´ feet tall, it is the tallest bird in North America. Its name is well-deserved...you can hear its loud bugling call up to three miles away!
There were about 1,200 to 1,400 Whoopers alive in 1865. Unfortunately, human settlement almost wiped out these beautiful birds forever. A combination of human activities, including farming in crane breeding grounds, hunting, and egg collecting, drastically reduced their numbers. By 1941 only one small flock of about fifteen Whoopers remained. The flock's breeding grounds were in Canada, and they spent the winter in Texas.
Scientists in the United States and Canada cooperated in setting up programs to increase the number of Whoopers. They used captive breeding, artificial insemination, and "cross-fostering," having Sandhill cranes parent Whooper chicks. Some techniques were more successful than others, but overall the outlook for Whoopers is hopeful. By 1991, there were about 223 Whooping cranes alive. Although they are still the most endangered of all cranes, international cooperation is helping them make a comeback.
©2000
The Wild Ones
c/o Wildlife Trust
61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964-8000
Tel: 845.365.8337 Fax: 845.365.8177