Whooping Crane

The tallest birds in North America, whooping cranes establish lifelong mates and maintain their bonds through courtship dances and displays. The cranes were on the brink of extinction in 1941, but thanks to decades of successful conservation a self-sustaining population of more than 300 birds now migrates between Texas and Canada. However, decreased rainfall and drought may shrink their Canadian wetland habitat and reduce available nesting sites while giving predators greater access to chicks. In the cranes’ Texas winter habitat, decreased rainfall coupled with rising sea levels would limit freshwater inflow, flooding their fragile marshes while harming the blue crabs the birds depend upon for food.

Scientific name: Grus americana
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Endangered Species Act List: Endangered
Region: Midwest