Whooping cranes are making their way to the Texas coast
With the first sightings of iconic, endangered whooping cranes along the Texas coast being reported, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is reminding Texans to be on the lookout for these large, majestic birds as they move through the state.
Whooping cranes are the tallest, rarest birds in North America. Currently, there is a population of around 506 individuals. Thanks to coordinated conservation efforts, whooping cranes are slowly returning from the brink of extinction.
Whooping cranes make a 2,500-mile journey from their Canadian breeding grounds in northern Alberta’s Wood Buffalo National Park to the coastal marshes of Texas each year. The migration south to Texas can take up to 50 days.
During their migration, whooping cranes seek out wetlands and agricultural fields where they can roost and feed. The birds often pass large urban centers like Dallas-Fort Worth, Waco and Austin. Though whooping cranes rarely stay in one place for more than a day during migration, it is important that they not be disturbed or harassed at these stopovers. As a federally protected species, it is illegal to disturb or harass these birds.
Read more: https://www.dailysentinel.com/social_media/article_26e8869c-2146-5d93-b629-259b67ec2375.html
(Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel)
Whooping cranes are the tallest, rarest birds in North America. Currently, there is a population of around 506 individuals.
Texas Parks and Wildlife
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