At 5 ft tall and with a wingspan of 7-8 ft, Whooping Cranes are the tallest birds in North America. They comprise two separate migratory populations and one stationary population. Each migratory population has different areas where they spend their time during the year. Sources vary, but there are 3-6 places in the U.S. and 1 in Canada where these birds can be seen, depending on the season. They are an endangered species and in the 1940's, there were only 15 individuals left. Since then, they have been slowly recovering. The 2011-2012 population estimate for the wild, migratory population that resides at Aransas NWR is around 250 individuals. Current total population estimates are around 600 individuals and includes both migratory populations, the stationary population, and captive raised individuals.
Aransas NWR is the winter home of one of the migratory populations from about mid-October to mid-March. The birds do not arrive or leave all at once, so the refuge posts updates throughout the season to report the number of birds on the refuge. This is helpful to determine when to visit to have the best chance to see these incredible birds. We visited in January and saw several family groups. We took the Whooping Crane & Coastal Birding Tour offered by Rockport Birding and Kayak Adventures: http://www.whoopingcranetours.com/Birding.html. The staff on the boat were nice and very knowledgeable. The captain even took requests in case you were looking for a specific species (I really wanted to see Roseate Spoonbills!). Their boat can go into shallower waters than most so we were able to get close to the birds for good views. Dress warm, it's always cooler on the water than it is on land!
As we traveled from port to the refuge and back, we saw 35+ species of birds. Many of the birds were gathered on islands made of oyster beds that ran along the waterways. The picture below shows American White Pelicans, Brown Pelicans, and Cormorants on one of the islands.
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge:
http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Aransas/
http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Aransas/wildlife/whooping_cranes.html
Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD):
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/whooper/
International Crane Foundation:
https://www.savingcranes.org/whooping-crane.html
Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Whooping_Crane/id