Whooping Crane population tops 300
The Aransas/Wood Buffalo Population of whooping cranes has reached a milestone with over 300 individuals accounted for during the 2013/14 winter. Recent counts by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimate the population to be approximately 304 individuals including 39 juveniles. This population of whooping cranes is cyclic and fluctuates on an approximate 10 year cycle. The 39 young along with the population increase indicates that the flock is into a growth phase. Hopefully habitat conditions on the breeding grounds will be good in 2014 to allow for continued expansion of the population.
The full report and additional updates can be found on the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge WebPage
Whooping Crane telemetry video
The capture and banding of a whooping crane at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge:
