The first endangered whooping cranes of the season have arrived in South Texas

Some famous winter Texans couldn't wait to get to the state's Coastal Bend.

With temperatures cooling down, the endangered whooping cranes have returned a bit early this year.

The first cranes of the season arrived in Texas in mid-October, earlier than the flock's usual November arrival, and were spotted at two of the Coastal Bend's natural spaces, the Aransas Pass Wildlife Refuge and Goose Island State Park. 

"It's a large population and they don't flock, they follow the weather fronts," International Crane Foundation Outreach Coordinator Anna Turkett said. "The cold front behind them is what brought the birds in so early this year."

Turkett estimated only half of the population had arrived as of mid-November.

According to the International Crane Foundation, the peak season for viewing the whooping cranes is early November to early April. They're best viewed at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Goose Island State Park, or from a whooping crane boat tour stationed in areas such as the Fulton Harbor. 

"Whooping crane viewing boats are the ways you can see them the closest," Turkett said. "The birds are desensitized to a lot of the boats."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services reported the Coastal Bend could expect to see between 412 and 660 whooping cranes this season. 

"The population has really stayed stable," Turkett said. "We had a pretty good nesting year in Canada. The birds don't nest in Texas, but there were 97 nests recorded."

The International Crane Foundation calls the whooping crane one of conservation's most inspiring stories. The species dipped to a low of fewer than 20 cranes in the 1940s, with every whooping crane on earth living in the Aransas Pass National Wildlife Refuge. 

"Aransas Pass Wildlife Refuge is a really cool site," Turkett said. "At a point, all of the living cranes in existence were living there, so it's the original home of the modern whooping crane."

While the population as increased over the years, Turkett says knowing how to identify the birds and recognizing their rarity is important.

"A lot of people confuse whooping cranes with other birds, like egrets, but these are massive birds standing 5 feet tall with wingspans of 7 and a half feet in flight," Turkett said. "Know what these birds are and how rare they are, and how they're very dependent on these wetland areas."

How to protect whooping cranes

1. Identify a whooping crane

The International Crane Foundation says though the birds are often confused with herons, egrets, and pelicans, the cranes can be identified by their height (often 5 feet tall), white body, red mask and black wingtips when flying. Whooping cranes are often low to the ground and in groups of three or fewer .

2. Give whooping cranes space

Stay back at least 300 feet and refrain from activities such as loud talking, sudden movements and boating close to area the cranes are known to reside. 

"If you notice a whooping crane moving toward you, they aren't being friendly. They're being territorial and they're feeling threatened," Turkett said.

3. Donate

Those interested in helping financially can donate to the International Crane Foundation by visiting savingcranes.org, and purchasing a Federal Duck Stamp from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Ashlee Burns covers trending and breaking news in South Texas. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.