Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Whooping Cranes are Nesting in Texas!

For the first time in recent history, 2 pairs of endangered Whooping Cranes are nesting in southeast Texas (photo by Paul Konrad).

For the first time in recent history, 2 pairs of endangered Whooping Cranes are nesting in southeast Texas. These Whooping Cranes are part of the non-migratory population that is being reintroduced in Louisiana by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), a project that began in 2011. Whoopers in this population have been reintroduced into historically occupied wetland habitats, beginning at the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area in southwest Louisiana. The current population, which numbers 73 Whooping Cranes, has nested and successfully hatched and reared young in a variety of wetland habitats in Louisiana on both private and public lands, and has now expanded into east Texas wetlands!

“We are excited to see this reintroduction effort show continued signs of success, with nesting now occurring in Texas,” said Amy Lueders, the FWS’s Southwest regional director. “It’s a true reflection of the power of partnerships. We would also like to thank the private landowners who have been incredibly supportive of these efforts.”

“Conservation cannot happen in Texas and beyond without the support and dedication of our private landowners,” said Carter Smith, executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). “We look forward to our continued efforts with our vast network of partners, especially private landowners, to ensure Whooping Cranes and all of our wildlife in Texas thrive in the future.”

“We appreciate the cooperation and assistance of our Texas partners, including the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and especially the private landowners whose properties are supporting the survival of the Louisiana cranes,” said LDWF secretary Jack Montoucet. “Of course wildlife does not respect state boundaries, so our ‘Louisiana cranes’ also sought suitable habitats in southeast Texas to establish territories and nests.”

Whooping Cranes are one of the rarest species in North America. The non-migratory population now inhabiting Louisiana and southeast Texas is separate from the self-sustaining wild Aransas-Wood Buffalo migratory population that winters along the Texas coast at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge near Rockport, Texas. This population of more than 500 Whooping Cranes migrates north each spring to nest in the wetlands in Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Canada.

More information about Whooping Crane reintroduction efforts in Louisiana can be found on the LDWF website at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/subhome/whooping-crane and you can refer to the original FWS article at https://www.fws.gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?ref=historic-first-as-whooping-cranes-found-nesting-in-texas