A seven-month-old Whooping Crane and its parent hunt for blue crabs in the shallows. Young Whoopers stay with the adult pair during their first year. A pair of Whooping Cranes photographed during a boat tour along the Texas coast.

There are few things in the avian realm that compare to the wild trumpeting call of a Whooping Crane! You really must personally experience the majesty of these remarkable birds with broad six-foot wingspans that stand taller than any other species in North America! Seeing Whooping Cranes will leave you with a life-long connection. Now imagine a flock of seven of these majestic birds in flight, or a family group with a rufous-plumaged juvenile, and you’ve joined the club.

The only problem is that Whooping Cranes are among the rarest birds in the world and they are only reliably found in a few locations. Even if you should find Whooping Cranes, they usually only offer a view of white spots in the distance. But imagine visiting a family group or a small flock of Whoopers wading in shallow water 90 feet away, deep in the heart of their wintering area along the Texas Gulf Coast. That’s where Captain Tom comes in!

Whooping Crane and Coastal Birding Tours feature a shallow-bottomed boat that will get you into the heart of some back bays where Captain Tom will ease you in close to observe and photograph Whoopers they search for blue crabs in the shallows or loaf along the shoreline – what an impressive experience it is! You will understand the idea that this is a true birding pilgrimage that all birders must make, and that it’s an experience that will call you back time after time.

Plus, it’s not all about Whooping Cranes: The three-hour boat trip provides wonderful opportunities to enter the realm of many classic Gulf Coast birds at their best – Tommy often tallies 50 species during a tour – and you may even get a chance to see and photograph dolphins along the way. What a great birding event to share with family or friends, or maybe it’s time to take a personal day to fulfill a big birding wish!

For more information about the Whooping Crane and Coastal Birding Tours that center out of Fulton, Texas, see https://www.whoopingcranetour.com/tours/whooping-crane-coastal-birding-tour/

In addition to the daily Whooping Crane boat tours, the Rockport-Fulton area is among the best destination for all kinds of birding field trips, and with Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and a host of other birding hotspots nearby, plan to spend some time. Plus, the equally impressive birding destinations of South Texas are only a few hours away.

Actually, the 23rd Annual Whooping Crane Festival is coming up soon, from February 21 through 24, which is a festival of national status centered in Port Aransas, Texas, where you can share time with others in the birding community in many fun and rewarding ways. Plus, another boating company will offer daily Whooping Crane tours during each day of the festival. For more information, see http://www.whoopingcranefestival.org/event/whooping-crane-boat-tour-25-2016/).

Article and photographs by Paul Konrad

Share your birding experiences anytime at editors2tbw@gmail.com