Skip to main content Skip to navigation
Home
Today's Show: Rhinoceros Hornbill
Rhinocerous Hornbill
Listen In
  • Today's Show
  • Listen
    • Daily Shows
    • Threatened
    • Grouse
    • BirdNote Presents
    • How to Listen
  • Explore
    • Field Notes
    • Sights & Sounds
    • Birdwatching
    • Resources for Educators
  • How to Help Birds
    • At Home
    • In Your Community
    • Success Stories
  • About
    • The BirdNote Story
    • The Team
    • Partners
    • For Radio Stations
    • Funding
    • Contact Us
    • FAQs
    • Support BirdNote
  • Donate

Protecting the World's Cranes

It’s all about habitat!
Subscribe to the Podcast
Download
  • Share This:
  • Share to Facebook
  • Share to Twitter
  • Share to Email
© Wes Lindberg

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 conditions for Whooping Cranes: “It’s all about habitat,” he says. “I think that’s the fundamental thing.” Saving the areas where Whooping Cranes live, and protecting them from the negative impacts of human activity, will help the cranes recover and thrive.

  • Full Transcript
  • Credits

BirdNote®

Protecting the World’s Cranes

Featuring George Archibald of the International Crane Foundation

Interview by Chris and Todd Peterson

Written by Todd Peterson

This is BirdNote.

[Calls of Whooping Cranes]

At one time, only 15 Whooping Cranes remained in the world. Today, there are still fewer than 600. George Archibald, is co-founder of the International Crane Foundation. We asked him what challenges Whooping Cranes – and cranes around the world – face. 

“It’s all about habitat. I think that’s the fundamental thing. If we can save these last great areas where the birds live, so that they’re not negatively impacted by the actions of man.” 

To thrive, cranes require grasslands, and wetlands. In this way, cranes are ambassadors for the conservation of these habitats. George explains:

“The general public can often take a great interest in helping the cranes because the size and beauty of cranes are very compelling and people know them. If you can conserve what the cranes need, everything else is benefitting.”

And cranes need safety when they fly.   

“We’ve had a lot of our Whooping Cranes shot in our new experimental populations in Louisiana and in the Southeast. And now in Africa, trade has become a very ugly problem, whereby the cranes are captured and sold to wealthy people to decorate their estates in China and the Middle East. Hundreds of them…”

 [Calls of Whooping Cranes]

If you’d like to help cranes thrive, begin at our website, BirdNote.org.

###

Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Calls of Whooping Cranes [2748] recorded by G. Archibald.  

Flowing stream Nature Essentials SFX #18, recorded by Gordon Hempton of Soundtracker.com.

BirdNote’s theme music was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.

Producer: John Kessler

Executive Producer: Chris Peterson

© 2014 Tune In to Nature.org    July 2014   Narrator: Mary McCannMarantz VI Tracks 153 & 155

ID#   crane-01-2014-07-01crane-01

Todd Peterson
Writer
Mary McCann
Narrator
Support More Shows Like This
Tagsenvironmental champion habitat protection North Africa Asia

Related Resources

Check out more BirdNote shows featuring George Archibald:Read BirdNote’s blog post about the 2014 Whooping Crane FestivalVisit the International Crane Foundation onlineLearn about threats to the Whooping CraneWhooping Crane – More at All About Birds

More About These Birds

Whooping Crane (Grus americana)

Grus americana

Sights & Sounds

Related Field Notes

July 14, 2015

Kingfisher Perches

By BirdNote Gallery
For better and for worse, humans can have a huge impact on the lives of birds.
April 28, 2015

Champions for Birds

By BirdNote Gallery
CELEBRATING BIRD CHAMPIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Birds connect us with the joy and wonder of nature. By telling vivid, sound-rich stories about birds and the challenges they face, BirdNote inspires listeners to care about the natural world – and take steps to protect it.

Support BirdNote

  • Daily Shows
  • Field Notes
  • BirdNote Presents
  • Sights & Sounds
  • About BirdNote
  • Contact BirdNote
Sign up for our newsletter!
  • BirdNote on Facebook
  • BirdNote on Twitter
  • BirdNote on Instagram

Copyright 2020. All rights reserved.

  • Privacy Policy