Table of Contents    Critter Chronicles    Endangered and Threatened Species of ND

Whooping Crane - Grus americana - Endangered

Beak to Feathers (and everything in between): The whooping crane is the tallest bird in North America. It stands 5 feet tall and has the wingspan of 7 feet. It is a white bird with black tips on the wings and red markings on the head.

From Chick to Whooping Crane: The courtship rituals of the whooping crane are quite unique. The adults' performance can be compared to something like a dance. Adults squawk, flap their wings, bow their heads and leap into the air. Whooping cranes mate for life. Two eggs are laid in a nest of bulrush and other vegetation. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the young. Usually only the larger, more aggressive chick survives.

What's for Dinner?: Whooping cranes feed on crabs, crayfish, frogs, and other small aquatic life as well as plants.

Here to There: There are about 145 whooping cranes in the wild. A large flock migrates between the Northwest Territories in Canada to the Aransas NWR on the coast of Texas. During the 1991 fall migration there were 8 sightings in North Dakota from late September to mid-October. Most sightings occurred in the western 2/3 of the state.

Natural Habitat: The natural habitat of the whooping crane includes shallow wetlands with cattails, bulrushes and sedges. They can also be found in upland areas, especially during migration.

Interesting Facts: Whooping cranes may live 20 years.

Reason for Population Decline: The main reasons for the decline in population are loss of habitat and shooting.

Road to Recovery: Eggs from wild birds (1 per nest) have been removed and hatched in captivity. The captive birds are now reproducing.

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Return to the USFWS Mountain-Prairie Region Home Page.

http://JClarkSalyer.fws.gov/crane.html -- Revised: 28 July 1999

Please direct questions or comments to:
J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
P. O. Box 66
Upham, North Dakota 58789-0066
Phone: (701) 768-2548, e-mail: JClarkSalyer@fws.gov