Whooping Crane

The tallest bird in North America, the Whooping Crane is able to fly 500 miles a day. Some young cranes hatched in captivity learned their migration routes by following ultralight air craft.

Before 1800 there were an estimated 10–20,000 Whooping Cranes in North America. By 1941, because of hunting and habitat destruction, there were fewer than 20. There are now approximately 350–380 in the wild. The wild Whooping Crane population has only one winter habitat—a wildlife refuge on the Gulf Coast in Texas; and one spring breeding habitat—a prairie wetlands in Alberta. Severe storms, sea level rise, drought, industrial development and oil spills threaten these habitats. Another significant threat to young Whooping Cranes is colliding with power lines in their migration corridor.

Other animals at risk

Whooping Crane
The tallest bird in North America, the Whooping Crane is able to fly 500 miles a day. Some young cranes hatched in captivity learned their migration routes by following ultralight air craft.

Bicknells Thrush
One of the rarest birds in North America, the female may have up to four mates at one time.

Sockeye Salmon
Sockeye Salmon, once they leave the fresh water where they are born, may travel as far away as 2600 miles before returning to the same waters to spawn, one to four years later.

Staghorn Coral
Coral reefs are the most diverse ecosystems in the marine world and can take 10,000 years to form. They cover less than 1% of the ocean floor but are habitat for at least 25% of all known marine life. A coral is made up of thousands of tiny animals called polyps, protected by a hard skeleton. There are 160 different species of Staghorn Coral.