AUSTIN — With the first sightings of iconic, endangered whooping cranes along the Texas coast, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is reminding Texans to be on the lookout for these impressive birds as they move through the state.
Whooping cranes are the tallest, rarest birds in North America. Currently, there is a population of around 506 individuals. Thanks to coordinated conservation efforts, whooping cranes are slowly returning from the brink of extinction.
Whooping cranes make a 2,500-mile journey from their breeding grounds of northern Alberta’s Wood Buffalo National Park to the coastal marshes of Texas each year. The migration south to Texas can take up to 50 days.
During their migration, whooping cranes seek out wetlands and agricultural fields where they can roost and feed. The birds often pass large urban centers like Dallas-Fort Worth, Waco and Austin. Though whooping cranes rarely stay in one place for more than a day during migration, it is important that they not be disturbed or harassed at these stopovers. As a federally protected species, it is illegal to disturb or harass these birds.
Wade Harrell, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Whooping Crane Coordinator at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), says that over half of the banded whoopers he studies have made their way to Texas. The first of the season was spotted in the Seadrift area on October 19. Typically, Whooping Cranes arrive in pairs or family groups.
“The recent cold front really put the birds on the move southward,” Harrell said. “For the most part, all of the banded birds have moved out of Canada, but some are still as far north as the Dakotas and still in migration. Typically, we don’t have all the birds on the Texas Coast until December, so November is often our big month for migration sightings here in Texas.”
Once whooping cranes arrive on their wintering grounds, many stay in the same general area. Younger birds, however, often haven’t paired yet and may wander a little off their usual flight path, using areas quite distant from the Aransas NWR area.
Harrell says that due to the La Nina weather pattern forecast for this winter, the Southwest is in for a drier, warmer season, on top of the drought much of Texas is already experiencing. As such, freshwater wells on the Aransas NWR and surrounding areas will be very important for the whooping cranes upon their arrival. The USFWS is encouraging landowners to consider providing freshwater on their properties as well to aid the birds during their migration and wintering period.
