Female whooping crane visits Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge

By Carla Mitchell, Holla Bend National Wildlife RefugeNovember 15, 2019

Arkansas’ Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge is hosting a Louisiana reared whooping crane. The first observation of the crane on the refuge was October 3. According to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologist Sara Zimorski, this crane is a 2 ¹⁄₂-year-old female that was released in 2017.

Unlike most of the juveniles released at the same time, she took off immediately, has spent more time outside of Louisiana than in it, and has covered a lot of ground in two years. She has previously spent time in Arkansas at two other locations, summered in Oklahoma the past two years, and spent last winter at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama. Holla Bend visitors are delighted that she decided to stop at the refuge during her travels.

Thanks to birders with expensive cameras, we have been able to provide Zimorski with pictures that enable her to view the condition of the crane’s satellite transmitter.

Contact

Carla Mitchell, assistant refuge manager
carla_mitchell@fws.gov, (479) 229-4300

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Arkansas Ecological Services Field Office
• Bragging Rights
• E-Grits
• Endangered Species Act
• Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge
• Louisiana
• Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge
• Whooping Crane