As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Sunday 31 March 2019

Whooping Cranes Are Back From The Brink


Mar 18, 2019, 03:58pm
The whooping crane conservation effort has ended after successfully pulling the iconic bird back from the brink of extinction
Considering all the recent bad news regarding the global devastation of non-human species, I thought it was time to share some good news with you: The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recently ended its successful research and captive breeding effort of the endangered whooping crane. This research and conservation effort had been ongoing for more than 50 years.
“Whooping cranes are still endangered, but the overall population has grown more than tenfold in the last 50 years since Patuxent’s program began,” said conservation biologist John French, director of the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.
The whooping crane is the tallest bird in North America, and one of the largest. Their lifespan is just 22 to 24 years in the wild. Whooping cranes are omnivorous (with a preference for carnivory), and they foraging whilst strolling about in shallow water or through fields.


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