North America's tallest birds--whooping cranes (Grus americana)--are also among the rarest. The only remaining natural population of the endangered birds summers in Canada, then migrates some 2,400 miles to winter on the coast of Texas. The 237 whoopers that returned to their wintering grounds for the 2006-07 season were the largest number in a century, and 17 more than a year before, according to Tom Stehn and Wendy Brown of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Their report appears in that agency's just-published 2006 Highlights edition of the Endangered Species Bulletin.
In 1941, a mere 41 members of the species remained, largely due to habitat destruction, shooting, and other human activities. With the help of substantial federal protection in both Canada and the United States, the birds have been making a slow but steady rebound. The population grew to 100 by 1986 and reached 200 in 2004.
The species' 2006-07 winter tally reflects a record 49 chicks that reached fledging stage, last summer; all but four of these made it to Texas. In contrast, the year before, just 30 chicks arrived in the wintering grounds. Another record, the Bulletin notes: seven adult pairs made it to Texas with twin chicks in tow. Ordinarily, a female lays two eggs, only one of which survives through its first migration.
This past winter, five whooping cranes were also sighted at a New Mexico wildlife refuge, marking only the second time members of the species were seen wintering outside of Texas.
Nearly 5 feet tall, whoopers are majestic animals. Despite their growing numbers, the wild population's future remains anything but assured. The birds reproduce slowly and inhabit just a few nesting and wintering sites. As such, Stehn and Brown warn, "a single catastrophic event could eliminate the wild, self-sustaining . . . population." And we would all be the poorer for that.
