KBLOG 80: Whooping Cranes, Texas, and a Dream Come True
When I was in fifth grade, my mother took me to the library, where I picked up a book from a display table about Whooping Cranes. Looking back, that book had a profound impact on me. I believe my love for biology, wildlife, and sharing knowledge all stemmed from that introduction.
I was captivated by these beautiful, majestic birds—not only because of their striking appearance but also their incredible size. Whooping Cranes stand about five feet tall with an impressive wingspan of seven to eight feet. When I first learned about them in 1967 (yes, I’m old!), there were only around 50 left in existence. Of those, 43 were wintering in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, and seven were in captivity. Their lowest recorded numbers were in 1945-46, when only 21 birds remained—15 migrating between Canada and Texas, while the rest lived year-round in Louisiana.
Around 1967, a captive breeding program began at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland. I was astounded to learn that these birds migrate 2,500 miles from Texas to Wood Buffalo National Park in northeastern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories. That park, the second-largest national park in the world, serves as their breeding ground. As a child, I was fascinated not only by the Whooping Crane’s size and migration feats but also by the fact that so few of them remained. Those combined factors hooked me on this bird and ultimately fueled my lifelong interest in nature and environmental issues.
The Whooping Crane story is a powerful one that belongs in every classroom. It touches on so many important subjects—biology, animal behavior, environmental conservation, genetics, geography, endangered species, politics, and the delicate balance between human impact and ecological preservation.
Below are some links to help you develop engaging lessons for your children and students to connect with the incredible story of the Whooping Crane.
Whooping Cranes-U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - https://www.fws.gov/story/2023-08/whooping-cranes-reflecting-50-years-esa-protection-and-habitat-conservation
Whooping Crane (Journey North) - https://journeynorth.org/tm/crane/indexCurrent.html
Crane Conservation Education in the Classroom - https://savingcranes.org/news/resources/crane-conservation-education-in-the-classroom/
Whooping Cranes (Whooping Crane), US Fish and & Wildlife Service - https://www.fws.gov/species/whooping-crane-grus-americana
Whooping Crane Lessons, Activities and Information - https://journeynorth.org/tm/crane/Resources.html
Image by Brian Forsyth
