Whooping Crane The name was for its whooping sound and call. Scientific name: (Grus Americana)

Whooping Crane

The name was for its whooping sound and call.

Scientific name: (Grus Americana)

BEST FEATURE:

Tallest North American bird.

SPECIALITY:

It is the one of only two crane species found in North America along with the Sandhill Crane.

LIFE SPAN:

It is 22 to 24 years in the wild. (Only 400 species available).

UNIQUENESS:

They are pallid with red crown and long, dark, pointed bill. Young whooping cranes are pale brown. While in flight, their long necks are kept straight and their long dark legs trail behind. Adult whooping cranes' black wing tips are visible during flight. Its wing span is of 2.3 meters.

WEIGHT:

Males weigh on average 7Kg.

Females weigh about 6Kg.

HABITATION:

The muskeg of the taiga; The only known remaining nesting location is Whooping Crane Summer Range in Wood Buffalo National Park in Alberta, Canada and the surrounding area.

YOUNG ONE:

The female lays 1 or 2 eggs in the nest made of marsh plants, usually in late-April to mid-May. The incubation period is 29–35 days. Here the female is more likely to directly have a tendency towards the young. The male takes the primary role in defending the nest against possible danger.

“2½ inches in breadth and 4 inches in length and weighs about 190 g”

First flight at 80-90 days. Feeding process will takes place from 6–8 months after birth and the young-parent relationship occurs probably from 1 year.

Whoppers are born with blue eyes that change color as they grow older. At about three months, their eyes will be a vivid aquamarine color. At approximately six months of age their eyes will be bright gold.

EXCLUSIVITY:

They most commonly engage in dancing, and also include behaviors such as bowing, jumping, running, stick or grass tossing, and wing flapping. It’s all about motor development for cranes and thwarts aggression, to relieve tension, and for bone’s strength.

VOCALIZATIONS:

Loud, rattling kar-r-r-o-o-o. With several variations.

MIGRATION:

Whooping Cranes followed a variety of flyways between breeding and wintering areas. Although Whooping Cranes used, and continue to use, a wide range of environs they primarily depend on highly productive wetland ecosystems for nesting, over-wintering, and migratory stopover.

“2500 miles, 15 to 40 days.”

OMNIVOROUS SPECIES:

Omnivorous and slightly more inclined to animal material than most other cranes. In their Texas wintering grounds, this species feeds on various crustaceans, mollusks, fish (such as eel), berries, small reptiles and aquatic plants. During summer include frogs, small rodents, smaller birds, fish, aquatic insects, crayfish, clams, snails, aquatic tubers and, berries. Waste grain, including wheat and barley, is an important food for migratory birds such as the whooping crane.

“Omnivorous and slightly more inclined to

Animal material than most other cranes.”