Surfing the Net with kids

The endangered North American whooping crane has a remarkable story. Starting in 2001 (using a method pioneered by Bill Lishman and Joe Duff with Canada geese) a flock of baby whoopers raised in captivity in Wisconsin was trained to follow an ultralight aircraft to their winter home in Florida. Learn more about the birds and their amazing comeback at these sites.

ARKive: Whooping Crane www.arkive.org/whooping-crane/grus-americana

ARKive has taken on the goal of gathering films and photographs of the world's species to preserve them for future generations. Their whooping crane collection includes 12 stunning photos and nine videos, as well as quick facts such as range and habitat, biology, and threats and conservation. "Today, cranes remain at risk from human development; collisions with power-lines are now a serious cause of mortality."

International Crane Foundation: Whooping Crane

www.savingcranes.org/whoopingcrane.html

This field guide includes links to a photo gallery, a table of whooping crane numbers from 1938 to 2006, and a migration map. Unfortunately, the links are not underlined, so you'll need to hunt for them. Be sure to visit the Kids page for instructions on building an origami crane, a printable field guide to crane behavior, and answers to commonly asked questions. "Q: How many kinds of cranes are there? A: There are 15 species in the crane family Gruidae. According to the conservation status designations assigned by International Crane Foundation, six of the species are considered endangered."

Journey North: Whooping Crane www.learner.org/jnorth/search/Crane.html

Meet the Western flock (the only wild migratory flock of whooping cranes) and the Eastern flock (a reintroduced flock seeded with 11 chicks bred in captivity). "With no wild parents to teach the way, new captive-bred chicks added each fall learn their migration route by following ultralight aircraft on their first journey south, and a few are also released to follow older cranes south. Each spring we eagerly wait to see if, when, and how the youngest crane-kids return north - unaided, wild and free. The goal: 25 breeding pairs from 125 birds released in the Eastern Migratory Flyway by 2020, with 18-20 chick introductions each year."

National Geographic: Whooping Crane

animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/whooping-crane.html

"Whooping cranes nearly vanished in the mid-20th century, with a 1941 count finding only 16 living birds. But since then, these endangered animals have taken a step back from the brink of extinction." This overview from National Geographic includes an audio of the whoopers' loud shriek (you might need to turn your speaker volume down a tad!), and a short video describing their miraculous comeback.