Whooping cranes are stately white birds with black primaries and red foreheads. The whooping crane's resonant bugle results from one of the longest windpipes in the bird world. These birds have proven less adaptable than sandhill cranes. Whooping cranes are more dependent on marshes, and are not able to take advantage of the nutritional value of crops planted by farmers.
Males can weigh over 17 pounds, making them one of the three largest cranes in the world.

 FACTS
 

HEIGHT	5 Ft.
WINGSPAN	7.5 Ft.
MIGRATION	200-500 miles/day
WEIGHT	14 Lb.
FLIGHT SPEED	47 mph
NESTING AREA	N. Alberta, NW Territories
WINTERING AREA	Aransas NWR (SE Texas)
MATING	Begins at 4-5 years
EGGS	2 per year
LIFESPAN	20-40 years
POPULATION(Wild)	<200
SCIENTIFIC NAME	Grus americana

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