Whooping Crane (click to see larger) I photographed two Whooping Cranes in North Iowa! According to the International Crane Foundation, there are only 757 Whooping Cranes in the entire world - less than 600 in North America. They are the rarest and most endangered bird in North America and the tallest bird at about five feet tall - at least a foot or more taller than Sandhill Cranes. There are two major flyways: from the Aransas National Wildlife refuge on the Gulf Coast of Texas to Wood Buffalo National Park on the northern border of Alberta, Canada; and from central Wisconsin to the southeastern U.S. These two cranes seem to have strayed off of those flyways. (Well, Iowa is a great place to visit.) I'm guessing that they are part of the group of Whooping Cranes hatched and released by the the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI, but I am waiting for confirmation (see note below photos). They have identification bands and transmitters on their legs. There was no sign of young birds so I don't believe that they are nesting. They have been hanging out with two adult Sandhill Cranes that do have a young colt (chick) - photo below. According to Paul Hertzel, records from the Iowa Ornithologists Union indicate that there hasn't been a successful nesting pair of Whooping Cranes in Iowa since 1888.
A special thanks to the person that helped me locate these birds. All the photos were taken from the car with telephoto lenses, so as not to disturb the birds. I would never get out of the car and attempt to approach them.
Click the photos below to see a larger and the video below the photos.
A special thanks to the person that helped me locate these birds. All the photos were taken from the car with telephoto lenses, so as not to disturb the birds. I would never get out of the car and attempt to approach them.
Click the photos below to see a larger and the video below the photos.
Video:
Note from the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI:
These cranes are 1-17 and 2-17, who were part of last year's costume-reared cohort. 1-17 is a male and 2-17 is a female. They were released at White River Marsh in Wisconsin last year with the other costume-reared birds, but the group of 8 seemed reluctant to migrate on its on so they were split up. 1-17 and 2-17, along with another juvenile 8-17 were driven to Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, and from there they continued on their own to Alabama where they spent the winter. This spring when they began to head back they got slightly sidetracked on their way to Wisconsin. They spent a few weeks in the Springfield, IL area and are now in Iowa! It will be interesting to watch them and see what their movements will be in the next few years!
These cranes are 1-17 and 2-17, who were part of last year's costume-reared cohort. 1-17 is a male and 2-17 is a female. They were released at White River Marsh in Wisconsin last year with the other costume-reared birds, but the group of 8 seemed reluctant to migrate on its on so they were split up. 1-17 and 2-17, along with another juvenile 8-17 were driven to Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, and from there they continued on their own to Alabama where they spent the winter. This spring when they began to head back they got slightly sidetracked on their way to Wisconsin. They spent a few weeks in the Springfield, IL area and are now in Iowa! It will be interesting to watch them and see what their movements will be in the next few years!
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