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areas that are used for wintering in and near the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (TX) <br />are characterized by gently rolling sandy grasslands with many ponds. <br />While a wide variety of habitats are utilized by the birds during migration, the one <br />constant is that a wetland is used for roosting each night. These wetlands vary from <br />reservoirs and rivers, to marshes and flooded farmland. Also, the birds tend to select <br />areas that have wide panoramic views. They will not roost in areas that are surrounded <br />by trees or other obstructions that impede their line of sight. <br />Recovery Efforts: The whooping crane is protected internationally in The United States, <br />Canada and Mexico under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Canada and The United States <br />have worked closely on all management decisions regarding the bird's summer and <br />winter roosting locations. Surveys at both locations are conducted each year, and the <br />numbers are carefully monitored of both breeding and non - breeding birds. <br />Also, The U.S. Whooping Crane Recovery Plan has been established, with the <br />goal of ultimately establishing two more wild populations of at least 25 breeding pairs. If <br />this is accomplished, the whooping crane will be a candidate for down- listing from <br />endangered to threatened status. <br />In addition to the birds that exist in the wild, two breeding populations also exist <br />in captivity. One each in Maryland and Wisconsin, with another planned for the Calgary <br />Zoo in Alberta. These birds may be used in the effort to establish two more wild <br />populations. <br />