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Whooping cranes, the tallest birds in North America, are a conservation success story....mostly. Reduced to a total of about 20 individuals in the mid-20th century, they have been brought back to mroe than 200 birds in the main wild flock that breeds at Wood Buffalo Nation Park in northern Canada and winters in brackish marshes along the Texas coast. More are in captivity and there have been efforts -- not well established yet -- to create new wild flocks in Florida and elsewhere in the US. Adult whoopers are spectacular white birds with black primary feathers and red crowns. They mate for life and live for many years. In winter they can be easily seen from various whooping crane tour boats heading up the Intracoastal Waterway from Rockport, Texas to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge where many spend the winter. These photos were shot from the Warf Cat in early January; some are a bit blurred by convection cells (heat waves) but you can see one bird eating a blue crab in the lower right image. |
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