11.30.24, Tefft, IN

See The Wisconsin/Illinois/Indiana Sandhill Crane Route.

We had the honor of seeing a Whooping Crane today!

As of early 2024, only about 800 still exist. When we returned home, we reported it to the International Crane Foundation. The Crane Foundation was excited and said this male Whooping Crane hadn't been reported in some time.

Whooping Cranes are an endangered species and sensitive to disturbance. The International Crane Foundation list threats as, "Loss or deterioration of critical wetland habitat – including reduced fresh water on wintering grounds in Texas, sea-level rise, low genetic diversity, power line collisions, predation, disturbance at nest sites, and illegal shootings." Another reason that Whooping cranes are endangered is that they are "specialists": they require very specific conditions for nesting and feeding. Sandhill Cranes, by comparison, are "generalists" and are abundant in numbers.

The International Crane Foundation recommends giving Whooping Cranes their space. This means staying at least 100 yards from Whooping Cranes if you're in a car and 200 yards if not in a car. If you see one, please consider reporting it at bandedcranes.org. To report disturbances or illegal harming of Whooping Cranes, they recommend contacting local authorities immediately (1-800-847-4367). You can learn more about Whooping Cranes and how you can protect this endangered species and support the Crane Foundation's work at savingcranes.org.

We did not approach the Whooping Crane while photographing, staying at least 200 yards away at all times. Both Whooping Cranes and Sandhill Cranes are easily disturbed and individual cranes are especially susceptible to flying into power lines in large flocks. The images and video below were taken with 800mm and 2000mm magnification lenses.

More photos to come.