Re: Whooping Cranes
[Re: MJM]
#6523512
04/22/19 07:58 PM
04/22/19 07:58 PM
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 9,295 Northern MN
Osky
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 9,295
Northern MN
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That's really neat. I know some yea s back they said there was just a handful of those left. Great to see they are spreading out. It'd be crazy to see those cessnas coming in low to your snow spread.
Osky
"A womans heart is the hardest rock the Almighty has put on this earth, and I can find no sign on it" Jabless in Minnesota www.SureDockusa.com
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Re: Whooping Cranes
[Re: MJM]
#6523594
04/22/19 10:09 PM
04/22/19 10:09 PM
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 10,308 MT
snowy
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 10,308
MT
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Nice! Thanks for posting the picture.
Give me a fish, I will eat for a day. Teach me to fish, I will eat for a lifetime
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Re: Whooping Cranes
[Re: 52Carl]
#6523602
04/22/19 10:16 PM
04/22/19 10:16 PM
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5,101 Northern Michigan
J.Morse
trapper
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trapper
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5,101
Northern Michigan
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Why are they so scarce? Evolutionary pigeonholed into a no-return extinction vortex? It happens. They were nearly wiped out because they had three things stacked against them.....one, they were tasty, two, they were unlucky enough to meet up with a bunch of trigger happy and hungry pioneers, three, they were never as populous as their cousins, the Sandhill Cranes. Oh, a forth thing against them....they were beautiful in an age when everyone, hungry or not, liked to blast all things pretty. In 1941 I believe the total world population was something like 21! I was thrilled to see the single bird I did on April 3rd. It had been hanging around in Missaukee Co. for about a week at that time. A few days later it had moved up into the UP to Chippewa Co. It had even wandered over into Ontario for a short time. It has a GPS unit hooked to it's leg so the International Crane Foundation folks could keep tabs on it. It is part of the "Eastern Migratory" flock. Cool stuff. Really cool sighting Mark!
Last edited by J.Morse; 04/22/19 10:17 PM.
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Re: Whooping Cranes
[Re: 52Carl]
#6523604
04/22/19 10:17 PM
04/22/19 10:17 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 9,655 ND
MJM
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 9,655
ND
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Why are they so scarce? Evolutionary pigeonholed into a no-return extinction vortex? It happens. I would guess it is global warming. From what I have read there never were many. For the first time since the late 1800s, there are more than 500 Whooping Cranes in the population that winters in south Texas. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aerial surveys counted 505 cranes in and around the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in 2018 as a part of their annual winter survey, a 17 percent increase from the previous year. These cranes—which migrate to Aransas from breeding grounds in Canada’s Wood Buffalo National Park—comprise the largest of four populations of endangered Whooping Cranes left in North America. The Aransas–Wood Buffalo group is the only self-sustaining Whooping Crane population on the continent, meaning they breed and migrate without human assistance. There were concerns for these cranes after Aransas took a direct hit from Hurricane Harvey in September 2017. But the refuge’s marshes weathered the storm just fine and continued to provide excellent habitat for Whooping Cranes, says Wade Harrell, U.S. Whooping Crane recovery coordinator for the USFWS. By 1941, there were only 15 Whooping Cranes left in the wild, all of which wintered at Aransas. Whooping Cranes were charter members of the Endangered Species Act when it was signed in 1973, and for years the cranes’ recovery was slow but steady. But now the Aransas–Wood Buffalo flock (which contains about 80 percent of all wild Whooping Cranes) has doubled since 2010.
"Not Really, Not Really" Mark J Monti "MJM you're a jerk."
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Re: Whooping Cranes
[Re: MJM]
#6523605
04/22/19 10:19 PM
04/22/19 10:19 PM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,214 NE
Marty B
"arbitrary noob"
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"arbitrary noob"
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,214
NE
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I was about 8 miles south of the house yesterday and saw seven whooping cranes. I just saw my first ones ever - March 18. I was all geeked up about it. I've scanned a pile of cranes over the years looking for the whoopers and never seen one. Now the only thing left on my list is to hit the lottery and move to the keys.
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Re: Whooping Cranes
[Re: MJM]
#6523606
04/22/19 10:20 PM
04/22/19 10:20 PM
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5,101 Northern Michigan
J.Morse
trapper
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trapper
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5,101
Northern Michigan
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Thanks for the info Mark. Looks like I was a little generous with my memory of the 1941 population.
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Re: Whooping Cranes
[Re: lee steinmeyer]
#6523608
04/22/19 10:22 PM
04/22/19 10:22 PM
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5,101 Northern Michigan
J.Morse
trapper
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trapper
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5,101
Northern Michigan
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Man starve to death trying to find any meat on those skinny legs! lol But Lee, just think of how long those Drumsticks would be......
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Re: Whooping Cranes
[Re: J.Morse]
#6523635
04/22/19 11:02 PM
04/22/19 11:02 PM
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 17,458 Wheaton Ks
lee steinmeyer
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 17,458
Wheaton Ks
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Man starve to death trying to find any meat on those skinny legs! lol
But Lee, just think of how long those Drumsticks would be...... Take a long frying pan to get em in too, I bet! Guess I was way off on my remembering how many there were! I'm old, I'm wrong a lot....just ask my wife!
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Re: Whooping Cranes
[Re: J.Morse]
#6523681
04/23/19 03:41 AM
04/23/19 03:41 AM
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,971 WI
nimzy
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,971
WI
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Why are they so scarce? Evolutionary pigeonholed into a no-return extinction vortex? It happens. They were nearly wiped out because they had three things stacked against them.... And they ain’t too clever. Horicon had a couple that stayed too long they figure one froze to death and the other got picked off by a coyote. Not terribly unusual to see here anymore. “Million dollar birds”
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