Latest Whooping Crane Population Totals

WHOOPING CRANE POPULATIONS UPDATE - as of July 14 2008

Thanks to Tom Stehn, Whooping Crane Coordinator at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and co-chair of the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team for the following update to the species' population stats.

WILD POPULATIONS	ADULT	YOUNG	TOTAL	PAIRS
Aransas/Wood Buffalo	227	39	266	72

The total of 266 Whooping cranes is this population’s current estimated current size. 64 chicks hatched this spring from a record 66 nests but they are not added to the count until they reach the Aransas Refuge in the fall.

Florida Non-Migratory

No chicks fledged in the wild in 2008. The total of 33 birds reflects those regularly monitored in Florida. However, a few additional cranes could be present in unknown locations.

Eastern Migratory

Five breeding facilities (Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, International Crane Foundation, Calgary Zoo, San Antonio Zoo, and Species Survival Center in New Orleans) either provided eggs or hatched and raised chicks in 2008. Four eggs came from abandoned wild nests in Wisconsin and were successfully hatched at Patuxent. Approximately 28 chicks are being raised for the release programs in central Wisconsin (19 ultralight, 9 direct autumn release). As of July 15 none of these have yet fledged.

Totals in the Wild

330

397

Captive Populations	ADULT	YOUNG	TOTAL	PAIRS
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, MD	63	*2	65	13
International Crane Foundation, WI	35	0	35	11
Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre, AB	22	0	22	6
Species Survival Center, LA	11	0	11	1
Calgary Zoo, AB	2	0	2	0
New Orleans Zoo, LA	2	0	2	0
San Antonio Zoo, TX	7	0	7	1
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, FL	2	0	2	0
Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, FL	1	0	1	0
Jacksonville Zoo, FL	2	0	2	0
Milwaukee County Zoo, WI	1	0	1	0
Totals in Captivity	148	2	150	32

^*These young are genetic holdbacks and will remain in captivity as future breeding stock

Note: The above table does not reflect captive young that have entered the 2008 reintroduction programs.

WHOOPING CRANE POPULATION TOTALS - July 14/08	ADULT	YOUNG	TOTAL
In the Wild	330	67	397
In Captivity	148	2	150
Totals	480	69	549

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