e Lake crane, which is transported to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas.
- February 2011. Nonessential, experimental population established at White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area.
** Based on Louisiana whooping crane chronology compiled by Dr. Gay Gomez, McNeese State University**
Whooping Crane Facts
- are the tallest N. American bird. Males height reaches up to 5 ft.
- have a wingspan of up to 7 ft.
- are all white except for black feathers on the tips of their wings; and have dark olive-gray bills, which lighten in color during breeding season.
- are cinnamon brown when immature and take on a mottled appearance as their white feather bases begin to extend.
- live approximately 22-24 years in the wild.
- are omnivorous. Summer forage includes frogs, fish, rodents, small birds, and berries. Winter feeding centers on blue crabs and clams.
- form life-long, monogamous pairs, though they will re-pair after the death of mate.
- make a spring migration to Wood Buffalo National Park in Saskatchewan, Canada. They occupy approximately the same area within the breeding territory each year.
- share parental duties, such as egg incubation and brood-rearing, between mates.
- begin an autumn migration in September and reach their Texas Gulf Coast destination by late October or early November.
- today about 400 whooping cranes survive in three populations in the wild, and about 150 individuals in captivity.