Posts tagged "WhoopingCrane"

North American Whooping Cranes have begun their winter migration with a bit of help this year.

These wild birds make a journey of over 2,000 miles each fall from a forest in Canada to a refuge in Aransas, Texas. Whooping Cranes have long been heralded as one of the most magnificent species in America. They're the tallest birds on the continent, and the spectacle of their migration and breeding rituals have captured the minds and imaginations of writers, artists and conservationists alike. Unfortunately, Whooping Cranes have also been edging frighteningly close to extinction. Estimates put the number of live wild cranes at roughly 300 today.

Now a collective of conservationists known as Operation Migration has launched an innovative project to teach the birds the safest migration route. The scientists fly alongside the flock in ultralight aircraft, leading the cranes from a sanctuary in Wisconsin to one in Florida. Guiding them on a safely plotted route "protect[s] the Aransas/Wood Buffalo natural flock and establish[es] two additional flocks in efforts to safeguard the whooping crane from possible extinction," according to their website.

Throughout October and November, Operation Migration's Whooping Crane flock has made progress, and they are currently located in Illinois. You can follow @OperMigration on Twitter to help support their cause and to see updates on weather, the distance they've traveled, and other news.