I photographed this young Whooping Crane at the Calgary Zoo Ranch, where they have a breeding program. Information from the Calgary Zoo website explains that "the Calgary Zoo’s Conservation Fund is proud to support and participate in the Whooping Crane Recovery Program as part of a joint Canada-U.S. plan to bring these elegant birds back from the brink of extinction. Probably the most well-known endangered species in Canada, the Whooping Crane population dropped to a low of 16 individuals in the 1940s."
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We had the privilege on Saturday of seeing very rare Whooping Cranes at the Calgary Zoo Ranch, known as the Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre, located about 10 kilometers south of Calgary near DeWinton.
"The Zoo ranch is a 320-acre captive breeding facility, and is not open to the public. The ranch also serves as a Zoo quarantine and holding area for everything from elk to zebras.
In the late 1800s, an estimated 500 to 1,400 whooping cranes inhabited North America. By the 1940s only 16 remained. Thanks to the work at the Zoo ranch and elsewhere, whooping cranes are making a comeback with 472 in the wild and in captivity.
The Zoo ranch was the first Canadian site designated for a captive flock, with two pairs arriving in 1992. The Nat Christie Whooping Crane Breeding facility opened in 1993 at the ranch. The first whooping crane chicks hatched at the ranch in 1996.
As of November 2006, the Zoo has seven adult pairs of whooping cranes, two singleton breeding males, three juveniles hatched in 2005 and, so far, five chicks have hatched this year. There are also two cranes on display in the Zoo’s Canadian Wilds. To date, the Zoo ranch has released 16 chicks into the wild. In addition to the chicks hatched this spring, the Zoo shipped 10 fertile eggs to Patuxent, Maryland. Five of these eggs hatched and the chicks are destined to join the flock being trained in Operation Migration – an international effort that trains birds to migrate with ultra-light aircraft."
www.canadiancowboy.ca/features/the_zoo_ranch.html
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One of the few, rare Whooping Cranes in existence, seen at the Calgary Zoo Ranch, just outside the city. The Ranch is one of the places where conservation and preservation take place.
Tags: Alberta Canada Calgary Zoo Ranch nature fauna bird birds ornithology Crane Whooping Crane Panasonic DMC-FZ18 FZ18 Lumix P1370262 FZ18 annkelliott Grus americana
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One of the Whooping Cranes at the Calgary Zoo Ranch, seen when a group of us had the privilege of visiting two days ago. Tremendous work is being done there to breed several very endangered species, especially the fascinating Whooping Crane. These birds are kept in enclosures and any interaction with the staff is done using white "Crane costumes". The Whooping Crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild. Many thanks to Crane Keeper, Dwight Knapik for showing us around for the afternoon and filling us with interesting information.
In 1985, the Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre (DWCC) opened. Known as the "Zoo Ranch," this land south of Calgary is home to the breeding facilities for the endangered Whooping Cranes, Vancouver Island Marmots, Przwalksi wild horses and Zebra.
"The only remaining flock of wild Whooping Cranes, the wintering population in coastal Texas, reached a low of 15 birds in the winter of 1941-42, and hovered between the low 20s and mid 30s over the next two decades. Efforts to locate the flock's breeding grounds intensified following World War II. Evidence of breeding was first reported in 1954, when several adults and pre-fledged juveniles were observed in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) in Northwest Territories, Canada. Researchers were able to locate the first nests the following year. The inaccessibility of the breeding grounds, protection of the wintering grounds, and extensive public education campaigns have contributed to the population's increase to its current level."
www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/cranes/grusamer.htm
www.bringbackthecranes.org/recovery/recv2009.html#Captive
www.whoopingcrane.com/FLOCKSTATUS.HTM
Tags: Alberta Canada southern Alberta south of Calgary Calgary Zoo Ranch Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre DWCC nature fauna ornithology avian bird birds Crane Whooping Crane Grus americana endangered breeding program adult close-up portrait front view square crop Panasonic DMC-FZ35 DMC-FZ35 FZ35 Lumix point-and-shoot P1190658 FZ35 annkelliott beautiful_expression birdshare SuperEco Excellence AvianExcellence
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One of the Whooping Cranes at the Calgary Zoo Ranch, seen when a group of us had the privilege of visiting on September 25th. Tremendous work is being done there to breed several very endangered species, especially the fascinating Whooping Crane. These birds are kept in enclosures and any interaction with the staff is done using white "Crane costumes". The Whooping Crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild. Many thanks to Crane Keeper, Dwight Knapik for showing us around for the afternoon and filling us with interesting information.
In 1985, the Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre (DWCC) opened. Known as the "Zoo Ranch," this land south of Calgary is home to the breeding facilities for the endangered Whooping Cranes, Vancouver Island Marmots, Przwalksi wild horses and Zebra.
"The only remaining flock of wild Whooping Cranes, the wintering population in coastal Texas, reached a low of 15 birds in the winter of 1941-42, and hovered between the low 20s and mid 30s over the next two decades. Efforts to locate the flock's breeding grounds intensified following World War II. Evidence of breeding was first reported in 1954, when several adults and pre-fledged juveniles were observed in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) in Northwest Territories, Canada. Researchers were able to locate the first nests the following year. The inaccessibility of the breeding grounds, protection of the wintering grounds, and extensive public education campaigns have contributed to the population's increase to its current level."
www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/cranes/grusamer.htm
www.bringbackthecranes.org/recovery/recv2009.html#Captive
www.whoopingcrane.com/FLOCKSTATUS.HTM
Tags: Alberta Canada southern Alberta south of Calgary Calgary Zoo Ranch Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre DWCC nature fauna ornithology avian bird birds Crane Whooping Crane Grus americana endangered breeding program adult close-up portrait side view square crop Panasonic DMC-FZ35 DMC-FZ35 FZ35 Lumix point-and-shoot P1190653 FZ35 annkelliott SuperEco The Nature Conservancy birdshare AnimalPlanet © Anne Elliott 2010 © All Rights Reserved
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