See our Birding Tours & Guides page and book your trip today!  The whoopers are here from 

November to early April, so don't miss your chance to see these magnificent, endangered birds.

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Whoopers Enjoy Winter Refuge on the Gulf Coast of Texas

as published in the Dallas Morning News

by Kathryn Straach, Special Contributor

Each winter, Texas attracts its fair share of "snowbirds" - those fine-weather friends who migrate from the north to the warmer temperatures of South Texas.  Snowbirds run the gamut from a growing number of retirees who make the trek in RVs to a small endangered group who just wing it. 

The airborne group consists of 175 whooping cranes, one of the rarest animal species in North America.  From late October through mid-April, the world's only wild natural flock of whopping cranes has a standing reservation at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, about 45 minutes north of Rockport.  The small flock of the continent's tallest bird journeys 2,500 miles south from Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada to the protected habitat of the Texas refuge.  In short these snowbirds breed in Canada and feed in Texas.  Although the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is the official winter home for the big birds, it may not be the best place to see them.  The cranes spread out about 35 miles along the coast, just off U.S. Highway 35.

One of the best ways to see whopping cranes is to take a boat tour from Rockport or Fulton.  The Rockport-Fulton Area Chamber of Commerce can provide you with a list of touring boats and individual guides that can take you to see these endangered birds, however the ANWR built a tall viewing platform from which the birds can also be seen.

Another location that provides great viewing is Matagorda Island, manage by ANWR.  The 45 minute boat trip departs from Port O'Connor and bus tours are offered as well.  Please see the Birding Tours/Guides page for more detailed trip information. Tours generally operate from November 15 - March 31 and the cost is $30 per person.  The Whooping Cranes are also sometimes visible from the Goose island State Park pier, 10 miles north of Rockport.

The Gulf Coast accommodations suit the whooping cranes well. Instead of a well-stocked fitness center and nightly turn-down service, the amenities the whoppers depend upon include salt marshes rich with blue crabs and clams.

Just two years ago, the population of whoopers was 188, but the decline this year is part of a 10-year cycle that happens after the turn of each decade. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is hopeful that the numbers will turn around.  Conditions at the refuge are good this winter, but a lot of factors threaten the birds.  It is getting tougher for the birds all the time though - power lines are the biggest threat to them.  They fly into them and suffer fatal injuries.  And such a line is currently being installed just north of the refuge.  Developments, including the coast's intracoastal canal and nearby oil and gas projects challenge the birds' future as well.  There is disease, such as West Nile Virus which causes brain inflammation - and not only affects the birds, but humans and horses too.

Whoopers are excellent for beginning birders.  Although relatively few in number, they are easy to identify.  The white birds with black wingtips and feet are 5 feet tall and their crown is bright red.  In addition to their size, the birds have a loud, resonating call that carries for miles and is responsible for their name.  Whoopers are one of only two crane species found in North America; the other is the Sandhill Crane.  

See our favorite info spots on Whooping Cranes below to find out all you need to know:  identification, songs, habitats, breeding, migrating, endangered specie acts, and much more.  Please support your local organizations and help this magnificent creature continue to exist in our ever changing world.

 Resources listed below for those who want to learn more about Whooping Cranes.

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge:  Winter Whooperland

All about Whoopers; Encarta Encyclopedia

Pair of Whoopers at SA Zoo