Whooping cranes' whopping comeback

By the numbers: The latest survey results from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service counted whooping cranes wintering on and around Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, on the Gulf Coast about 170 miles southwest of Houston, for the 2024-25 season.

• An additional 68 cranes were spotted outside the designated refuge area — likely a mix of uncounted newcomers and repeat visitors.
• The population is growing at a steady 4.3% annually, and their presence in new areas on the coast means that America's tallest bird is expanding its winter range.

The big picture: The Aransas-Wood Buffalo whooping crane population is the only natural, self-sustaining flock of wild whooping cranes in the world.

• Conservationists from Canada to the Gulf Coast have been working for decades to bring them back from the brink through habitat protection, legal safeguards and coordinated monitoring — all progress towards the goals outlined in the 2007 Whooping Crane Recovery Plan.

What they're saying: The population's rebound is "a remarkable achievement," said Matthew Butler, Service biologist and lead author of the report.

• "Whooping crane numbers have steadily increased thanks to strong legal protections and collaborative partnerships between conservation organizations, government agencies, and local communities."