News Release Archives - April 2008
April 7, 2008
Whooping Crane Sightings Should be Documented
Whooping cranes, one of North America’s most endangered birds, have started their spring migration and will be making their way through North Dakota. Anyone seeing these rare birds is asked to report sightings so the birds can be tracked.
Whooping cranes stand about five feet tall and have a wingspan of about seven feet. They are white with black wing tips, which are visible only when the wings are outspread. In flight they extend their long necks straight forward, while their long, slender legs extend out behind the tail. Whooping cranes typically migrate singly, or in groups of 2-3 birds, and may be associated with sandhill cranes.
Anyone sighting whoopers should not disturb them, but record the date, time, location, and the birds' activity. Observers should also look closely for and report colored bands which may occur on one or both legs. Young whooping cranes were marked during 1975-1988 with colored leg bands to help determine their identity.
Whooping crane sightings should be reported to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service office at 701-387-4397, the North Dakota Game and
Fish Department's main office in Bismarck at 701-328-6300, or to local
game wardens around the state. Reports help biologists locate important
whooping crane habitat areas, monitor marked birds, determine survival
and population numbers, and identify times and migration routes.
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