Summary

Description

In the United States, the whooping crane Grus americana was listed as threatened with extinction in 1967 and endangered in 1970 both listings were grandfathered into the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Whooping cranes occur only in North America. They currently exist in the wild at 3 locations and in captivity at 9 sites. The February 2006 total wild population was estimated at 338.The whooping crane breeds, migrates, winters, and forages in a variety of habitats, including coastal marshes and estuaries, inland marshes, lakes, ponds, wet meadows and rivers, and agricultural fields. Historic population declines resulted from habitat destruction, shooting, and displacement by activities of man. The recovery goal is to establish multiple selfsustaining populations of whooping cranes in the wild in North America, allowing initially for reclassification to threatened status and, ultimately, removal from the List of Threatened and Endangered Species. The wild whooping crane population is characterized by low numbers, slow reproductive potential, and limited genetic diversity. Therefore, the recovery strategy involves: protection and enhancement of the breeding, migration, and wintering habitat for the AransasWood Buffalo National Park Population AWBP to allow the wild flock to grow and reach ecological and genetic stability; reintroduction and establishment of selfsustaining wild flocks within the species historic range and that are geographically separate from the AWBP to ensure resilience to catastrophic events; and maintenance of a captive breeding flock to protect against extinction. Offspring from the captive breeding population will be released into the wild to establish these populations.