Latest Grus Stories
By LEN WELLS Courier & Press correspondent (618) 842-2159 or lenwells@wabash.net The route of the annual 1,250-mile migration of endangered whooping crane juveniles, led by an ultralight aircraft, has been shifted this fall to a more westerly route because of concerns about pilot and bird safety. The route, from the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin to a closed area of the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge on the west coast of Florida, will bring the birds through...
By Jeff Martin Scientists are increasingly concerned about the number of birds killed by running into power lines and wind turbines, said Al Manville, a senior wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but there are reports of success in preventing such incidents -- at least in the case of the power lines. More lines and turbines are planned in coming years, which could put several species of birds at risk, Manville said. "We've got to address our carbon footprint and...
Federal officials warned today that wind farms have become a potential new threat to the North American whooping crane population.  Long endangered, the gigantic birds were once at a U.S. population of just 15 in 1941. Conservation efforts have restored the number to 266 today.  However, wind farms have become so widespread in the migration routes of the birds from Canada to Texas that the cranes are now at risk of death or injury from either crashing into large wind turbans and...
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- After being grounded for five days by winds and rain at the Hiwassee State Wildlife Refuge, a flock of endangered whooping cranes resumed its migration from Wisconsin to Florida on Wednesday morning. "It's been so breezy here the last few days," said Tom MacKenzie, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman. "There's something about the ridge line we've had problems with crossing over." With better weather, the 19 birds left the refuge in Meigs...
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Even though they don't have wings, 15 eggs were flying to Russia on Monday. The eggs - 12 from the endangered red-crown crane and three from the threatened white-naped crane - are being sent by the National Aviary in Pittsburgh as part of a reintroduction program. The eggs were leaving Monday from the Pittsburgh International Airport, flying by jet to Los Angeles, then to Seoul, then to Kakbarovsk, Russia. From there, it's a nine-hour train ride to the Khinganski Nature...
CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. (AP) -- Thirteen endangered whooping cranes landed safely at a west-central Florida wildlife refuge Sunday morning, finishing a 64-day, 1,200-mile journey from Wisconsin to their wintering grounds. Following ultralight aircraft, the flock landed about 9:40 a.m. at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, according to a recorded update line. They had been held up in northern Florida for six days waiting for the right weather to complete the trip. The trip over seven...
Latest Grus Reference Libraries
The Hooded Crane (Grus monacha) is a small, dark colored crane. Its body is grey and the top of the head and neck is white, except for a patch of bare red skin above they eye. It’s one of the smallest cranes, but is still a fairly large bird, a 3.3 ft in length, weighing 8.2 pounds and a wingspan of 6.2 feet. It breeds in south-central and southeastern Siberia. Breeding is also assumed to occur in Mongolia. Over 80% of its population winters at Izumi, southern Japan. There are also...
The Common Crane (Grus grus), also known as the Eurasian Crane, is a species of bird found in the northern parts of Europe and Asia. It has a global population of 210,000 to 250,000 individuals. The largest number of these birds nest in Russia and Scandinavia. In Great Britain the Common Crane became extinct in the 17th century, but a tiny population now breeds again in the Norfolk Broads and is slowly increasing. It is migratory and winters in areas of Africa, southern Europe, and southern...
The Brolga (Grus rubicunda), formerly known as the "˜Native Companion', is a species of bird found in tropical and eastern Australia. The bird has also been given the name "Australian Crane", a term coined in 1865 by well-known ornithological artist John Gould in his Birds of Australia. These birds are abundant in north and northeast Australia, especially Queensland. They are also common as far south as Victoria. They are also found in New Guinea and rarely in New Zealand. They are also...
The Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus), also known as the Siberian White Crane or Snow Crane, is a species of bird found in arctic Russia in Yakutia and western Siberia. It is a migratory species. Eastern populations winter on the Yangtze River and Lake Poyang in China. Central populations winter at Keoladeo National Park, India. Western populations winter in Fereidoonkenar and Esfahan in Iran. It is a bird of wetlands both in breeding and wintering habitats. This is a large white crane,...
The Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) is a species of bird found in northernPakistan and India, Nepal, Southeast Asia and Queensland, Australia. It is a permanent resident of freshwater marshes and plains with little seasonal movement. This species is classified as Vulnerable, as the total global population has drastically declined since about 1980. This decline is expected to continue until at least 2010. Threats include habitat destruction, hunting, pollution, disease and competition from other...
