Whooping Crane Takeoff
A female Whooping Crane (aka #14-15) takes off in the early morning after roosting overnight with her migrating companions, a flock of Sandhill Cranes. With the sun below the horizon and the skies beginning to brighten with yellows and oranges, different groups of cranes would begin to chatter and then take off. Whooper #14-15 (from the class of 2015) and most likely part of the Eastern Whooping Crane Population was in one of the last groups to go, and although it would have been nice to have more light, it was still a thrill to watch and capture her takeoff and wing her way to the east. If you see a Whooping Crane and are able to capture the band number, please report it at this site: https://savingcranes.org/report-a-banded-crane/
Population Snapshot
The current (January 2025) estimated Eastern Whooping Crane population size is 70 individuals (36 females, 31 males, 3 unknown). Sixteen of these birds are wild-hatched, with the remainder captive-reared. As of early January, confirmed sightings include at least 17 birds in Alabama, two in Tennessee, seven in Kentucky, five in Illinois, 23 in Indiana, two in Georgia, and two in Florida, with additional birds likely present but unconfirmed. (Source: International Crane Foundation)
