Field Guide : Whooping Crane
Unlimited edition. 18 x 24 inch, museum-quality poster on matte paper.
Named for its "whooping" call (which sounds like the bleat of a long unused bugle), the whooping crane is one of two crane species native to North America. Unlike its more abundant relative, the sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis), the whooping crane is endangered. Even before European Americans transformed the crane’s habitat and over-hunted them, whooping cranes were relatively rare. Researchers estimate there were 10,000 or so whooping cranes in North America before settlers arrived. By 1870, following 250 years of settlement, just 1,300 - 1,400 birds remained. Intense development and hunting pressure in the late 19th century took even more of a toll; by 1938, only 15 – 15! – adults remained. On the brink of extinction, aggressive conservation action helped the species begin to reverse course. Today, the total North American population of whooping cranes is just over 800 birds – that includes all wild and reintroduced cranes as well as some captive breeding populations.
The primary threats to the species today are ongoing development and water sustainability issues on their wintering grounds in the Midwest and South. But humans aren’t the only challenge. Because they are ground nesters, cranes have many potential predators of their eggs and brood, and some larger predators will take adults, too. The adults used to be generally safe from predation because of their large size, but it seems the whooping cranes raised in captivity (for reintroduction efforts) provide easier marks for alligators, black bears, grey wolves, mountain lions, foxes, eagles, and ravens. The Whooping Crane’s Most Wanted, though, is the bobcat. In Florida, bobcats are the leading cause of “natural mortality” in whooping cranes. Scientists working in the region believe the bobcat population has exploded due to the extirpation of or dramatic decrease in larger predators (e.g., red wolves or Florida panthers, both of which prey on bobcats). Some conservation groups suggest the hunting bag limits for bobcats should be increased until the larger predators can be reestablished in the state.
Although the bugle bleat of the whooping crane might not suggest sophistication, the bird’s elegant garb is certainly impressive. Like a lot of sharply-dressed, long-legged wading birds, the whooping crane is omnivorous and voracious, feeding on crustaceans, mollusks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, rodents, insects, and aquatic vegetation. During migration, the cranes will also eat wasted grain in harvested fields.
Note: These archival poster prints feature rich, appealing colors. I encourage customers to take care in handling them until they are framed/protected for display; the darker colors on the matte paper can be scratched. They ship rolled, so customers need to flatten them before framing (or have their framer do so).
Charitable Sales Model: Whenever one of these poster prints is purchased, a charitable contribution equal to 10% of the print’s cost (or $3.60) is made to a nonprofit working to tackle environmental or social challenges. Read more about my charitable sales model here.
Unlimited edition. 18 x 24 inch, museum-quality poster on matte paper.
Named for its "whooping" call (which sounds like the bleat of a long unused bugle), the whooping crane is one of two crane species native to North America. Unlike its more abundant relative, the sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis), the whooping crane is endangered. Even before European Americans transformed the crane’s habitat and over-hunted them, whooping cranes were relatively rare. Researchers estimate there were 10,000 or so whooping cranes in North America before settlers arrived. By 1870, following 250 years of settlement, just 1,300 - 1,400 birds remained. Intense development and hunting pressure in the late 19th century took even more of a toll; by 1938, only 15 – 15! – adults remained. On the brink of extinction, aggressive conservation action helped the species begin to reverse course. Today, the total North American population of whooping cranes is just over 800 birds – that includes all wild and reintroduced cranes as well as some captive breeding populations.
The primary threats to the species today are ongoing development and water sustainability issues on their wintering grounds in the Midwest and South. But humans aren’t the only challenge. Because they are ground nesters, cranes have many potential predators of their eggs and brood, and some larger predators will take adults, too. The adults used to be generally safe from predation because of their large size, but it seems the whooping cranes raised in captivity (for reintroduction efforts) provide easier marks for alligators, black bears, grey wolves, mountain lions, foxes, eagles, and ravens. The Whooping Crane’s Most Wanted, though, is the bobcat. In Florida, bobcats are the leading cause of “natural mortality” in whooping cranes. Scientists working in the region believe the bobcat population has exploded due to the extirpation of or dramatic decrease in larger predators (e.g., red wolves or Florida panthers, both of which prey on bobcats). Some conservation groups suggest the hunting bag limits for bobcats should be increased until the larger predators can be reestablished in the state.
Although the bugle bleat of the whooping crane might not suggest sophistication, the bird’s elegant garb is certainly impressive. Like a lot of sharply-dressed, long-legged wading birds, the whooping crane is omnivorous and voracious, feeding on crustaceans, mollusks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, rodents, insects, and aquatic vegetation. During migration, the cranes will also eat wasted grain in harvested fields.
Note: These archival poster prints feature rich, appealing colors. I encourage customers to take care in handling them until they are framed/protected for display; the darker colors on the matte paper can be scratched. They ship rolled, so customers need to flatten them before framing (or have their framer do so).
Charitable Sales Model: Whenever one of these poster prints is purchased, a charitable contribution equal to 10% of the print’s cost (or $3.60) is made to a nonprofit working to tackle environmental or social challenges. Read more about my charitable sales model here.
Unlimited edition. 18 x 24 inch, museum-quality poster on matte paper.
Named for its "whooping" call (which sounds like the bleat of a long unused bugle), the whooping crane is one of two crane species native to North America. Unlike its more abundant relative, the sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis), the whooping crane is endangered. Even before European Americans transformed the crane’s habitat and over-hunted them, whooping cranes were relatively rare. Researchers estimate there were 10,000 or so whooping cranes in North America before settlers arrived. By 1870, following 250 years of settlement, just 1,300 - 1,400 birds remained. Intense development and hunting pressure in the late 19th century took even more of a toll; by 1938, only 15 – 15! – adults remained. On the brink of extinction, aggressive conservation action helped the species begin to reverse course. Today, the total North American population of whooping cranes is just over 800 birds – that includes all wild and reintroduced cranes as well as some captive breeding populations.
The primary threats to the species today are ongoing development and water sustainability issues on their wintering grounds in the Midwest and South. But humans aren’t the only challenge. Because they are ground nesters, cranes have many potential predators of their eggs and brood, and some larger predators will take adults, too. The adults used to be generally safe from predation because of their large size, but it seems the whooping cranes raised in captivity (for reintroduction efforts) provide easier marks for alligators, black bears, grey wolves, mountain lions, foxes, eagles, and ravens. The Whooping Crane’s Most Wanted, though, is the bobcat. In Florida, bobcats are the leading cause of “natural mortality” in whooping cranes. Scientists working in the region believe the bobcat population has exploded due to the extirpation of or dramatic decrease in larger predators (e.g., red wolves or Florida panthers, both of which prey on bobcats). Some conservation groups suggest the hunting bag limits for bobcats should be increased until the larger predators can be reestablished in the state.
Although the bugle bleat of the whooping crane might not suggest sophistication, the bird’s elegant garb is certainly impressive. Like a lot of sharply-dressed, long-legged wading birds, the whooping crane is omnivorous and voracious, feeding on crustaceans, mollusks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, rodents, insects, and aquatic vegetation. During migration, the cranes will also eat wasted grain in harvested fields.
Note: These archival poster prints feature rich, appealing colors. I encourage customers to take care in handling them until they are framed/protected for display; the darker colors on the matte paper can be scratched. They ship rolled, so customers need to flatten them before framing (or have their framer do so).
Charitable Sales Model: Whenever one of these poster prints is purchased, a charitable contribution equal to 10% of the print’s cost (or $3.60) is made to a nonprofit working to tackle environmental or social challenges. Read more about my charitable sales model here.