The South Texas whooping crane flock breaks the 500 mark

A record 505 whooping cranes could soon be winging their way to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.

Last year's estimate of the world's only wild migrating flock of endangered whoopers was about 430 birds, based on a record hatch from 98 nests at the Wood-Buffalo National Park in Canada. Wildlife officials at the Alberta park counted 63 fledglings from those 2017 nests.

This year's preliminary nest count in Canada is 86. A second survey involving fledgling cranes is scheduled before the birds begin their 2,500-mile journey southward, according to Chester McConnell, president of the Friends of the Wild Whoopers nonprofit group.

Biologists say 86 nests, on average, would yield between 35 to 43 chicks that would survive and migrate to Texas, according to Tom Stehn, who retired in 2012 after nearly 30 years as the Aransas refuge's whooping crane coordinator.

"In a very good year, chick production might be better than that," Stehn said.

Fledglings are easy to spot from a distance because their plumage is a soft shade of cinnamon, in obvious contrast to the stark white feathers of mature birds.

Adult cranes stand 5-feet tall with a 7-foot wingspan and a bright red crown. Its piercing call resembles the sound of a French horn.

This is the first time the refuge crane tally is based on estimates from a February survey rather than a December count, according to Wade Harrell, whooping crane coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"It may seem like population numbers jumped more than usual, but in reality we are just capturing a more complete proportion of the population," Harrell said.

The flock usually begins arriving in mid-October to marshes in and around the Aransas Refuge north of Rockport.

Last season, Tommy Moore, captain of the Skimmer tour boat at Rockport Birding and Kayak Adventures in Fulton, counted 34 of the iconic whoopers in early November. He and biologist Liz Smith, senior whooping crane scientist with the International Crane Foundation, said marsh conditions now are healthy and welcoming for the cranes' return, despite suffering a direct hit from Hurricane Harvey in August 2017.

McConnell has been negotiating with military officials and Native American tribes along the flock's migratory route to boost crane survival. McConnell's goal is to partner with landowners to enhance wetlands along the Central Flyway. 

This effort has resulted in unprecedented cooperation between the wild whooper group and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at suitable stopover sites in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota, McConnell said.

The population's health and continued growth relies on good habitat at their nesting site, in their wintering grounds, and everywhere in between, McConnell said. Refuge officials have been working with the crane foundation to maintain and enhance the flock's habitat needs in its winter feeding grounds.

Moore said the Rockport-Fulton business community is hoping this news of a growing crane population attracts many whooper fans, birders and photographers to the region, helping to boost revenue in communities still recovering from Harvey.