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South Texas Birding: The Whooping Crane Program

In our South Texas Birding segment, Dr. Liz Smith, director of the Texas Whooping Crane Program joined us on 3 News First Edition to tell us about the endangered Whooping Cranes, and how we can identify them from other white birds.

The Whooping Crane is the largest bird in N. America, standing almost 5ft tall. You might notice the crane's white with black wing tips visible in flight. They usually nest in Woods Buffalo National Park, Canada and during the winter they migrate to the Aransas Wildlife Refuge here in Texas. It takes them anywhere between 10-40 days on a 2500 mile journey.

Q. When they arrive on the Texas Coast, what's the first thing they do?

A. An adult pair establishes their territory boundaries from other Whooping Cranes. They begin feeding their young juveniles and teach them what to eat and how to eat them.

Q. What is their favorite food?

A. Blue crabs

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