Whooping Cranes: A Conservation Success Story
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The Remarkable Recovery of Whooping Cranes
In light of the numerous alarming reports about the loss of non-human species, it’s refreshing to share some positive news. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has concluded its successful initiative focused on the endangered whooping crane, a project that has spanned over five decades.
“Although whooping cranes remain endangered, their population has increased significantly—more than tenfold—since the inception of the Patuxent program,” stated John French, a conservation biologist and director at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.
A crane puppet is utilized to train a newly-hatched whooping crane (Grus americana) in foraging. This approach was designed to prevent the young birds from bonding with humans.
The whooping crane, the tallest bird in North America, has an average lifespan of 22 to 24 years in the wild. These omnivorous birds prefer a diet rich in protein, often found while wading through shallow waters or roaming fields. Most populations migrate, spending winters along the Gulf coast of Texas and breeding in Wisconsin and northern Alberta, Canada. They typically lay one to two olive-colored eggs annually, with only one chick often surviving to adulthood, remaining with its parents for an entire year.
The name "whooping crane" comes from their distinctive bugling call, which can be heard from a distance of half a mile. Adult cranes communicate through various calls for different reasons, including a “unison call” performed at sunrise during courtship or territorial defense.
Back from the brink, whooping cranes inspire awe but still need help - A video that explores the conservation success story of whooping cranes and their ongoing struggles.
The Threats to Whooping Cranes
The whooping cranes faced a perilous decline due to human activities—extensive habitat destruction, the transformation of vital breeding grounds into agricultural land, and unregulated hunting. By 1941, the wild population had plummeted to just 21 birds and two in captivity. From this minuscule number, only 16 became the founders of the population that now exceeds 800.
In 1967, the USFWS initiated a captive breeding program by collecting 12 eggs from Canada and sending them to the Patuxent center. At that time, this facility was under the USFWS's management before transitioning to the USGS in 1996. The newly hatched chicks joined an injured whooping crane named Canus, rescued from Canada when there were only 42 cranes left.
Recognized as a symbol of U.S.-Canada cooperation, Canus could not mate due to his injury, which led scientists to develop artificial insemination techniques for cranes. Canus lived for over three decades and became a significant contributor to the captive breeding population, with many released birds tracing their lineage back to him.
Dr. French emphasized, "When the Patuxent team began their work on whooping cranes, they needed to research nearly every aspect of the birds' biology." This included discovering their dietary needs.
The whooping crane recovery program has been widely regarded as a pioneering model in science-based conservation and reintroduction efforts. Since whooping cranes only produce a small number of offspring each year, scientists intervened to boost their reproduction rates. They learned that parent cranes would lay a replacement clutch if the first one was removed, allowing them to rear a third clutch themselves.
To prevent imprinting on humans, chicks were cared for by staff dressed in crane costumes. Caregivers used hand puppets to teach them foraging skills, played their parents' brood calls, and introduced them to wetland environments.
Innovative breeding methods, including artificial insemination to ensure genetic diversity, and novel approaches for teaching migration routes using ultralight aircraft, have been developed as part of the program.
Today, the use of artificial insemination and egg removal followed by re-nesting is common practice for several critically endangered birds, including Spix’s macaws and k?k?p?.
Despite progress, whooping cranes remain one of North America's rarest avian species and are still classified as endangered. The Patuxent facilities once housed around 75 whooping cranes, all of which have been relocated to various research centers and zoos across the United States and Canada for continued breeding efforts. The last two cranes were transferred to other facilities in March.
A whooping crane chick alongside one of its parents, highlighting the ongoing efforts to restore this species.
The successful recovery of the whooping crane illustrates that it is indeed feasible to rescue species that have come perilously close to extinction. While such efforts often require innovative thinking, meticulous planning, and the application of new technologies, it is our moral obligation to intervene for these species, especially given that their plight results from human actions.
Dr. French remarked, "The conclusion of the USGS program signifies the remarkable strides we've made in our recovery endeavors and serves as a tribute to the countless researchers and partners who have committed five decades to restoring this iconic species."
The Amazing Story of How the Whooping Crane Defeated Extinction - This video chronicles the journey of the whooping crane from near extinction to recovery, highlighting the efforts that made this possible.