A crane native to North America (Grus americana); breeds in Canada; migrates to Gulf of Mexico; plumage white; face red; extremely rare (only 18 birds known in 1969, but this had increased to 377 in a 1998 survey).
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iWhooping Cranes Conservation status: Endangered |
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Grus americana Linnaeus, 1758 |
The Whooping Crane (Grus americana) is a very large crane.
The only known wintering location for these birds is Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas which was created to preserve their wintering grounds.
A third attempt has involved the reintroduction of the Whooping Crane to a new flyway established east of the Mississippi river. These birds are costume reared from hatching, taught to follow an ultralight aircraft, fledged over their future breeding territory in Wisconsin, and led by ultralight on their first migration from Wisconsin to Florida; As of April 2006, there are 64 surviving Whooping Cranes in the Eastern Migratory Population (EMP), including 19 yearlings lead by ultralight aircraft in fall, 2005 and 4 yearlings released in Wisconsin and allowed to migrate on their own (Direct Autumn Release (DAR)).
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