Whooping Crane (Grus americana)

Wood Buffalo National Park - Birthplace of Whooping Cranes

April 17, 2022 In Canada, where Alberta meets The Northwest Territories, lies Wood Buffalo National Park, where endangered Whooping Cranes dance, nest, and raise their young. It's a "place of superlatives,” says park superintendent Rob Kent. “Visitors can see pristine ecosystems, 5,000 bison, 150-pound

A Fascination with Cranes, With George Archibald

July 13, 2021 George Archibald has devoted his life to the conservation of cranes, including the Whooping Crane pictured here. His inspiration? At the age of eight, George heard a radio broadcast about Whooping Cranes at school. He says, “. . . it was this drama of a male and female crane who’d flown

The Next Aldo Leopold

August 14, 2016 George Archibald, co-founder of the International Crane Foundation, says, “The most significant things in the world happen because of the actions of a few people, whether it’s in research, politics or conservation.” Archibald is heartened by the new generation of conservationists -- like

Protecting the World's Cranes

July 1, 2014 At one time, only 15 Whooping Cranes remained in the world. Today, the species remains endangered, but its population has increased to nearly 600 birds, thanks to conservation efforts. George Archibald, co-founder of the International Crane Foundation, explains how we can improve

A Chance to See Whooping Cranes - At Port Aransas

April 15, 2014 North America’s tallest bird, and one of its most endangered -- the Whooping Crane! There are fewer than 600 in the world even when you count the ones in captivity. They’ve rebounded from an all-time low of 15. The only wild migratory flock – about 275 – winters along the Texas Gulf Coast

The Platte River Crane Plane

November 1, 2013 Every day between early October and early November, two planes fly over the Platte River in Central Nebraska. The flight crews are searching for endangered Whooping Cranes, like the one pictured here with Sandhill Cranes. If Whooping Cranes are spotted, a ground crew monitors the birds’

The Lobstick Family of Whooping Cranes

October 17, 2011 The celebrities of the Whooping Crane world have to be the Lobstick family, named for the Lobstick marshes where they nest in Canada. The Lobstick male, at 33, is the oldest Whooping Crane in the wild whose age we know for certain. And Tom Stehn of the US Fish and Wildlife Service tells us

Flying with Birds - Interview with Gavin Shire

August 9, 2011 Gavin Shire, Communications Director for American Bird Conservancy, became an ultralight pilot while working with Operation Migration. The project is teaching endangered Whooping Cranes, raised in captivity, the route to migrate between Wisconsin and Florida. The birds are trained to

Operation Migration Update

January 30, 2011 Unlike many other birds that have an inherent sense of direction and destination, young Whooping Cranes have to learn their migration route from the adults. Enter Operation Migration and ultralight aircraft to lead the eastern population of cranes on their journey from Wisconsin to Florida

Operation Migration

January 6, 2009 Unlike many other birds that have an inherent sense of direction and destination, young Whooping Cranes have to learn their migration route from the adults. Enter Operation Migration and ultralight aircraft to lead them on their journey! Fortunately, the young cranes need to be shown the