Juvenile whooping cranes released Nov. 7 into the White Lake WCA release pen.
LDWF personnel take juvenile whooping cranes into the White Lake WCA release pen Nov. 7.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), Audubon Nature Institute and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation (LWFF) welcomed four juvenile cranes to the state’s experimental population Thursday (Nov. 7) at LDWF’s White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area (WLWCA) in Vermilion Parish.
The cranes, which will initially be held in the netted portion of WLWCA’s release pen for a short acclimation period, were hatched and reared at the Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center in New Orleans, part of the Audubon Nature Institute.
LDWF and the Audubon Nature Institute have been longtime leaders in whooping crane conservation in Louisiana and continue to expand their partnership with the goal of establishing a self-sustaining population of whooping cranes in the state.
Whooping cranes are large-bodied, white birds with a red head and black facial markings. They measure a height of five feet and have a wingspan of 7 to 8 feet that makes them very distinctive. In flight, whooping cranes display black wing tips and fully extended neck and legs, which extend well beyond the tail.
“The addition of these young cranes is another important step in restoring a once thriving species to the Louisiana landscape,’’ LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan said. “We appreciate the work of our partners at the Audubon Nature Institute in helping our vital whooping crane conservation efforts.’’
When the cranes are released later this month, the Louisiana population will consist of 81 birds. They had disappeared entirely from the state in the 1950s as well as from much of their former range across North America.
The Louisiana flock began in 2011 when 10 whooping cranes from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland were released at White Lake WCA to develop the non-migratory flock. This marked a significant conservation milestone with the first wild whooping cranes back in Louisiana since 1950.
Anyone encountering a whooping crane is advised to observe the bird from a distance and to report the sighting to LDWF (https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/report-a-whooping-crane-sighting-or-violation ).
For more information about the project please visit LDWF’s website: https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/subhome/whooping-crane and social media pages: https://www.facebook.com/lawhoopingcranes/ and https://www.instagram.com/lawhoopingcranes.
Anyone witnessing suspicious activity involving whooping cranes is advised to call the LDWF’s Enforcement Division at 1-800-442-2511 or use the tip411 program, which may offer a cash reward for information leading to arrests or convictions. To use the tip411 program, citizens can text LADWF and their tip to 847411 or download the "LADWF Tips" iPhone app from the Apple iTunes store free of charge.
Citizen Observer, the tip411 provider, uses technology that removes all identifying information before LDWF receives the text so that LDWF cannot identify the sender.