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Whooping Crane <br />(Gnus americana) <br />Current Status: The whooping crane is listed as endangered in both Colorado and on a <br />federal level. The whooping crane population has been on the rise since conservation <br />efforts began in 1940. At the time only 16 birds remained from a population that was <br />thought to number nearly 1400 in the nineteenth century. Today, over 150 whooping <br />cranes exist in the wild, and nearly as many are held in captivity. <br />Biology: The whooping crane is quite distinct in stature. At nearly five feet tall when <br />standing erect, the whooping crane is the tallest of any bird found in North America. The <br />plumage of a mature bird is snowy white (juvenile birds are generally rust colored) with <br />black wingtips that are only visible during flight. The wingspan of these majestic <br />creatures can reach nearly eight feet. The legs are long, thin and black, while the bill is <br />long and pointed. In flight, the whooping crane is the only large white bird with black <br />wingtips that flies with its neck straight out in front while the legs trail behind. <br />Whopping cranes mate for life, but will choose another partner if their original <br />partner dies. Birds generally reach sexual maturity between 3 and 5 years of age. <br />Courting rituals are quite elaborate and involve bobbing, jumping and weaving while <br />calling their mates. <br />Nests are generally built in the water out of dried bulrushes. They are flat topped, <br />with only the central mound four to five inches above the water. Usually two eggs are <br />laid. Both adults are involved in incubating the eggs for 29 to 31 days. The eggs hatch in <br />May or June, but only one of the chicks is reared, the other is either neglected and <br />ultimately starved to death, or pushed out of the nest. Young birds are able to fly 80 to <br />90 days after hatching. <br />The lifespan of a crane in the wild is between 20 -24 years. However, cranes that <br />spend their life in captivity often live 35 -40 years. <br />Range & Migration: Historically, the whooping crane's principal breeding ground <br />extended from Central Illinois northwestward through Northern Iowa, Western <br />Minnesota, Northeastern North Dakota, Southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Central <br />Alberta. During the winter months the whooping cranes migrate to southern states along <br />the Gulf of Mexico. Today, the breeding distribution of wild whooping cranes is <br />restricted to a small area in the northern part of the Northwest Territories in Canada. This <br />population migrates each winter to areas in and around the Aransas National Wildlife <br />Refuge on the gulf coast of Texas. While these cranes are not considered native to <br />Colorado, due to their migratory patterns they are occasionally spotted in the state. The <br />most common area in the state to see the birds is in the San-Luis Valley during the early <br />spring and early fall. <br />Habitat: The area in Canada that the whooping cranes inhabit during the summer months <br />is near the headwaters of the Little Buffalo, Klewi, Sass and Nyarling rivers. As a result, <br />the area is interspersed with potholes and is poorly drained. The wetlands in this area <br />vary considerably in size but are similar in that they all contain soft marl bottoms. The <br />