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Grus Americana Newsletter

October 6, 2022

The latest issue of Grus Americana (April 2022), the newsletter of the Whooping Crane Conservation Association, has been mailed to members, to obtain a copy please go to our Membership page to join the WCCA and help support whooping crane conservation, a bargain at only $20.

The newsletter contains items such as:

  • Whooping Cranes in Record Numbers on the Platte River
  • What do Whooping Cranes eat during their Platte River stopover?
  • President’s Note
  • Whooping Crane Shooting Deaths in Oklahoma under Investigation
  • Letter from the WCCA to the US Department of the Interior concerning plans to down-list the conservation status of the Whooping Crane
  • Aransas—Wood Buffalo Whooping Crane Population Summary 2016-2021
  • Eastern Migratory Population Update
  • Louisiana Whooping Crane Update
  • Florida Whooping Crane Update
  • Dr. Roderick C. Drewien July 30, 1939 – July 28, 2021
  • An opportunity for members and friends of the WCCA to contribute to whooping crane recovery

Previous issues of the newsletter Grus Americana can be viewed free in our Newsletters archive.

Grus Americana

April 2, 2021

The latest issue of Grus Americana (June 2020), the newsletter of the Whooping Crane Conservation Association, has been mailed to members, to obtain a copy please go to our Membership page to join the WCCA and help support whooping crane conservation, a bargain at only $20.

The newsletter contains items such as:

  • Whooping Cranes Getting Their Day in Court regarding shootings
  • Jim Lewis retires from Treasurer position
  • Concerns about Whooping Cranes migrating in larger-than-normal flocks
  • Aransas/Wood Buffalo population summary 2015-2019
  • Update on the Eastern Migratory Population
  • Update on the Louisiana Whooping Crane Population
  • Update on the Florida Whooping Crane Population
  • Cheniere Foundation Donates $100,000 to CBBEP’s Coastal Bird Program
  • An opportunity for members and friends of the WCCA to contribute to whooping crane recovery

Previous issues of the newsletter Grus Americana can be viewed free in our Newsletters archive.

Grus Americana newsletters available on line.

September 18, 2019

The latest issue of Grus Americana (Spring 2019), the newsletter of the Whooping Crane Conservation Association, has been mailed to members, to obtain a copy please go to our Membership page to join the WCCA and help support whooping crane conservation, a bargain at only $20.

The newsletter contains items such as:

  • Reducing the risk of crane collisions with power lines
  • George Gee – Trustee Emeritus
  • musings about Robert Porter Allen
  • Aransas/Wood Buffalo population update
  • update on the Eastern Migratory Population
  • update on the Louisiana Whooping Crane Population
  • 2019 Wood Buffalo fledgling count
  • Ontario whooping crane shooting and Reward offered
  • Trustee Emeritus Dayton Hyde passes away.
  • an opportunity for members and friends of the WCCA to contribute to whooping crane recovery;

Previous issues of the newsletter Grus Americana can be viewed free in our Newsletters archive.

Grus Americana newsletters available on line.

September 5, 2018

The latest issue of Grus Americana (Spring 2018), the newsletter of the Whooping Crane Conservation Association, has been mailed to members, to obtain a copy please go to our Membership page to join the WCCA and help support whooping crane conservation, a bargain at only $20.

 

The newsletter contains items such as:

  • WCCA contributes to the purchase of additional winter habitat at Aransas;
  • an opportunity for members and friends of the WCCA to contribute to whooping crane recovery;
  • effects that Hurricane Harvey had on whooping cranes and their winter habitat;
  • 2018 nesting season in Wood Buffalo National Park;
  • update on the Eastern Migratory Population;
  • update on the Louisiana Whooping Crane Population and
  • Louisiana whooping crane shooting.

 

The Fall 2017 newsletter and older issues of Grus Americana can be viewed free in our Newsletters archive.

New Grus Americana newsletter available on line.

July 23, 2017
The Fall 2016 Newsletter has been posted.
 
The Spring 2017 Newsletter is now available to members. If you are not a member, please join the Whooping Crane Conservation Association to get your copy.
 
The most recent newsletter contains articles on: a record setting year in Wood Buffalo National Park; updates on the Aransas/Wood Buffalo Population, the Eastern Migratory Population, the Louisiana Nonmigratory Population and the remnant Florida Nonmigratory Population; the closure of the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center captive breeding program; crab trap cleanup at Aransas; and how members can participate in the purchase of whooping crane habitat. We also introduce a new book on environmental activism, give an update on new charges against a whooping crane poacher and acknowledge the passing of Glen Smart.

Record nesting season in Wood Buffalo National Park

June 6, 2017
A record number of whooping crane nests have been found in Wood Buffalo National Park during the 2017 nesting survey carried out by Parks Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada. This year’s survey found 98 nests, an increase of 16 over the previous record of 82 set in 2014. Mike Keiser of Parks Canada told us that habitat conditions were excellent with most wetland basins being full. Surveys were conducted May 18-21, 2017 and were done by Parks Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories. This was the 51st year of annual surveys of the whooping crane population. Mark Bidwell of Environment and Climate Change Canada said that the large jump in nests from previous years is a result of 2 things; the arrival at breeding age of the large number of young that were produced during the period 2010-2013 and the excellent habitat conditions that provided an abundance of suitable nesting sites for the cranes. The next set of surveys will be conducted in August to determine the number of young fledged.
 
 
Photo courtesy of John McKinnon Parks Canada.

Happy New Year!

January 18, 2017

Grus Americana (Fall 2016)

The latest issue of Whooping Crane Conservation Association newsletter, has been mailed to members, to obtain a copy please go to our Membership link to join the WCCA and help support whooping crane conservation, a bargain at only $20.

The newsletter contains items such as: how the WCCA was able to participate in a project to secure wintering habitat for whooping cranes on the Texas coast and how you may be able to help support additional purchases of this fast dwindling resource in the future.

We also have important updates on all the wild populations of whooping cranes including the natural Aransas Wood Buffalo Population and the three introduced populations (Eastern Migratory and the Florida and Louisiana Resident populations).

An exciting new children’s book about the bond between a human and a crane is introduced.

There is also an update in the sentencing of an individual who shot two whooping cranes in Eastern Texas and how the WCCA helped solve the case by providing a reward to the informants.

Older issues of Grus Americana can be viewed free at our Newsletters link.

Aransas/Wood Buffalo Report

Dr. Wade Harrell of the US Fish and Wildlife Service has provided the WCCA with the following report on surveys of the Aransas/Wood Buffalo whooping crane population and current habitat conditions on the wintering grounds:

 

Winter 2015/16 Whooping Crane Survey Results

April 22, 2016

Aransas National Wildife Refuge

Matthew Butler and Wade Harrell of the US Fish and Wildife Service have just released the results of this past winters whooping crane surveys. A total of 329 birds were observed on the Aransas National Wildife Refuge and surrounding area, another 9 birds were outside of the primary survey area bringing the population to about 338 birds.

See their full report.

Wintering Whooping Crane Update, March 29, 2016

March 30, 2016

Wade Harrell, U.S. Whooping Crane Recovery Coordinator

Whooping crane spring migration has begun. It has been a tremendous winter season here at Aransas NWR, but the whooping cranes seem to be ready to get back up to Wood Buffalo National Park for another breeding season.

Read the full report on the US Fish and Wildlife Services website.

Wintering Whooping Crane Update

February 29, 2016

Check out the December 22, 2015 update on Wintering Whooping Crane’s, by Dr. Wade Harrell, U.S. Whooping Crane Recovery Coordinator.