How are cranes different from similar-looking herons and egrets?
Unlike herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. What is the range of North American cranes? Historically, the endangered whooping crane’s range extended from Utah south to Texas, Louisiana, and northern Mexico. At present, the only self-sustaining wild population consists of about 150 birds migrating between summer breeding grounds in northern Canada and wintering habitat along the Texas coast. Whooping cranes are primarily limited to the Sass River area of northern Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada’s Northwest Territory and Aransas National Wildlife Reserve in Texas. The more common sandhill crane ranges across the entire United States and Canada, with non-migrating subspecies in Mississippi, Florida, and Cuba. What challenges do cranes face? The greatest threat to sandhill cranes is habitat loss and degradation. This is particularly true along the Platte River Basin, where development pressures are threatening this highly important staging area. Non-migratory s
