NOVEMBER 24, 2021 www.wintertexantimes.com 20 WINTER TEXAN TIMES www.WinterTexanTimes.com When you follow us on Facebook AND Subscribe to our FREE e-Edition newsletter You will be eligible to win great prizes from our advertisers through our drawings held throughout the season 956.580.7800 1217 N CONWAY, MISSION Follow us on Facebook.com/ wintertexantimes BRING US ALONG, & THERE’S ALWAYS MORE TO SEE, MORE TO DO IN PRINT, ONLINE ON ANY DEVICE YOU WILL WANT TO TAKE IT WITH YOU WHEREVERYOUGO Whooping Cranes Are Making Their Way to the Texas Coast AUSTIN — With the first sightings of iconic, endangered whooping cranes along the Texas coast being reported, 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 2,500mile journey from their Canadian breeding grounds in 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. With sandhill crane and waterfowl hunting seasons opening and whooper migration in full swing, TPWD urges hunters to be extra vigilant. Whooping cranes are sometimes found in mixed flocks with sandhill cranes, which are gray and slightly smaller. With their all-white body plumage and black wingtips, whooping cranes may also resemble snow geese, which are much smaller and have faster wing beats. A video detailing the differences between snow geese and whooping cranes can be found on the TPWD YouTube Channel. There are several other non-game species that are similar in appearance such as wood storks, American white pelicans, great egrets, and others, but a close look will reveal obvious differences. More information on look-alike species is available online. Wade Harrell, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Whooping Crane Coordinator at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), says the first of the season was a family group consisting of two adults and a juvenile on the Aransas NWR, along with another tracked bird that arrived in the Port O’ Connor-area, both on Oct. 29. Harrell says typically most all of the tagged Whooping Cranes he studies are on the move in November as they head for their wintering grounds. The majority of the birds arrive on the Texas Coast in December. Once whooping cranes arrive on See CRANE pg. 23
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