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Carter Crouch has been fascinated by the conservation story of the whooping crane for as long as he can remember. The white bird, named for its “whooping” sound, is one of the rarest. North America and was one of the first to be protected by the Endangered Species Act.
It’s a story that started decades ago when they were on the verge of extinction. Today, more than 550 whooping cranes migrate Canada To Texas in the winter. This is the last self-sustaining wild herd in the world.
A new sanctuary aims to further protect them. The International Crane Foundation, the Conservation Fund and the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program announced Thursday the acquisition of more than 3,300 acres (1,336 hectares) of critical winter habitat for whooping cranes. Only 16 birds existed in Texas in the early 1940s, but thanks to decades of conservation work, they have recovered. There is still more work to do as birds face threats from urban development, climate change, planet-warming oil, gas and coal infrastructure and other threats.
Crouch, Director gulf coast International Crane Foundation events state that the crane’s story is complex with many successes and some failures, but overall, conservationists have come a long way. “We still have a long way to go, so there’s a lot of story to be written, and I’m extremely excited to be a small part of that.”
An endangered species, endangered habitat
At about 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, the whooping crane is the tallest bird in North America, with a wingspan of up to 7.5 feet (2.3 m), so they require large landscapes to live in. When adults they are snowy white, with black wings and a red forehead. It is one of 15 crane species in the world in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America – 10 of which are threatened with extinction.
The last wild and self-sustaining flock of whooping cranes breed and nest in the wetlands in and around Canada’s Wood Buffalo National Park and begin their 45-day 2,500-mile (4,023-kilometre) southern migration each winter to forage and roost in and near the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. The birds, which can live more than 20 years in the wild, mate throughout their lives and spend most of their lives raising families.
Cranes around the world face many challenges. illegal hunting And the poisons threaten some species, and the wetlands and grasslands they need to survive are disappearing. According to the United Nations, since the 1970s, 35% of the world’s wetlands have been lost due to human activities. Fish and Wildlife Service It is estimated that the US alone has lost at least 80% of its grasslands.
The threats from climate change are becoming more serious. Sea level rise could destroy low-lying coastal wetlands in Texas, and loss of permafrost due to warming is one of the threats to their habitat in Canada. Changes in rainfall patterns mean that there is less availability of wetlands in the Great Plains and other regions.
“Generally this is a really long-lived group of birds, so they’re quite sensitive to some of the threats that we’re putting on them,” Crouch said.
A safe haven for whooping cranes and other species
On a recent morning, after a dense fog cleared, Crouch and a team of scientists sent a boat called the Crane Seeker out into a channel along the Gulf of Mexico to look for whooping cranes.
He anchored the boat, pointed his spotting scope, and patiently observed the birds for about an hour, diligently noting every minute what they were doing. fly. Swimming in shallow water. Eating crabs or wolfberries.
The federally endangered aplomado falcon and the endangered black rail bird also call the area home.
The new sanctuary southwest of Houston is made up of two properties purchased for more than $8.4 million through grants, fundraising and hundreds of donations. One property, named the Wolfberry Whooping Crane Sanctuary, will be owned and managed by the International Crane Foundation, and the other will be managed by The Conservation Fund until the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program purchases it and eventually becomes its owner.
The name is inspired by the Carolina wolfberry, a bush that produces small, red berries that cranes love to eat. It is found in coastal habitats here in Texas, also feeding on blue crabs, mollusks, and fish.
Conservationists have a lot of work to do on the sanctuary. Most of the prairie is overgrown with shrubs, so they will use prescribed burning and other means to restore the grassland.
With the public’s help, they will also plant smooth cordgrass to improve the marsh and protect the shorelines from erosion, which will also serve as a storm buffer for nearby residents. Volunteers will also assist in the annual Christmas bird count. And once the sanctuary is operational, they hope to add guided tours and other educational programs.
A reliable place to see whooping cranes
These protected lands near the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas are the only place in the U.S. where people can reliably see whooping cranes, said Julie Shackelford, Texas director of The Conservation Fund. It is a destination for bird lovers from around the world, with visitors boosting the economy of surrounding communities such as Rockport and Port Aransas.
In the winter, “a few hundred people go out every day with their children to see whooping cranes,” said Shackelford, a fellow bird lover. He described helping to protect the land for future generations as “extremely gratifying.”
Mike Forsberg knows these birds intimately. As a conservation photographer, he has spent countless hours photographing North America’s storks over the years, even publishing books about them. He also has a podcast about whooping cranes, and just finished shooting a documentary. He calls himself a proud member of the growing “mad community.”
“The heart of putting anything on Earth … is about making it personal to you, and cranes are a great gateway into that,” said Forsberg, a faculty member at the University of Nebraska.
His 2024 book, “Into Whooperland: A Photographer’s Journey with Whooping Cranes” raised the question of whether these birds could survive in the 21st century world.
“Of course they can,” he said. “They are resilient. But it’s up to us. And these habitats are now being protected by the (International) Crane Foundation and by people who manage their lands with a certain ethos … It’s important.”
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Pineda reported from Los Angeles.
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