Whooping Crane

Grus americana · Species of large bird from North America
Family
Order
Gruiformes
Conservation
EN Endangered
Codes
whocra, WHCR

About the Whooping Crane

The whooping crane is an endangered crane species, native to North America, named for its "whooping" calls. Along with the sandhill crane, it is one of only two crane species native to North America, and it is also the tallest North American bird species, with an estimated 22–30+ year life expectancy in the wild. After being pushed to the brink of extinction by unregulated hunting and loss of habitat that left just 21 wild cranes by 1941, the whooping crane made a partial recovery through conservation efforts. The total number of cranes in the surviving migratory population, plus three reintroduced flocks and in-captivity, only slightly exceeds 830 birds as of 2025. This includes about 560 individuals in the remnant population that migrates between coastal Texas, USA, and the Northwest Territories, Canada, which is termed the "Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population" after the protected areas that anchor the population's wintering and breeding ranges, respectively. Additionally, there are about 140 individuals in two reintroduced populations breeding in Wisconsin and Louisiana, USA, and an additional 130 individuals in captivity.

Source: Wikipedia

Taxonomy & Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderGruiformes
FamilyCranes (Gruidae)
SpeciesGrus americana
Species Codeswhocra, WHCR
ConservationEN Endangered

Frequently Asked Questions

What family does the Whooping Crane belong to?

The Whooping Crane (Grus americana) belongs to the Cranes family (Gruidae), in the order Gruiformes.

What is the conservation status of the Whooping Crane?

The Whooping Crane is classified as "Endangered" (EN) by IUCN Red List.

How can I identify the Whooping Crane?

The whooping crane is an endangered crane species, native to North America, named for its \"whooping\" calls. Along with the sandhill crane, it is one of only two crane species native to North America, and it is also the tallest North American bird species, with an estimated 22–30+ year life expectanc...

Where can I report a Whooping Crane sighting?

You can log sightings of Whooping Crane on eBird (ebird.org) using species code whocra, or on iNaturalist.