USGS Patuxent Crane Facilities Hit Hard by Winter Storm
Storm Damage Could Affect Whooping Crane Breeding Season

Storm Damage Photo Gallery:

The USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Md. suffered major damage to its endangered species captive propagation complex due to the weekend rain and snowstorm. Biologists are concerned that the nearly total destruction to flight pens could impact the current breeding season for the endangered birds at the Center, which reopened only today due to the loss of power and damage from the storm. Closure of the Center has also resulted in the cancellation of the biennial science meeting that was to take place this week.

Patuxent has the largest captive flock of whooping cranes in the world, and also houses an extensive population of sandhill... MORE

Whoopers in the News* (updated 6/06/2006):

Lansing State Journal, Lansing, MI -- Endangered bird home after stop in Grand Ledge on June 5, 2006
Appleton Post Crescent, Fox Cities, WI -- Roy Lukes column: Cranes make early entrance on March 1, 2006.
Corpus Christi Caller Times, Corpus Christi,TX -- Crowds flock to see whoopers, other birds on February 25, 2006.
Laurel Leader - Laurel,MD -- Snow wrecks pens, sets off whooping crane crisis on February 23, 2006.
BurlingtonFreePress.com, Burlington,VT -- Crane doesn't move as the crow flies on February 23, 2006.
Business Gazette, Gaithersburg, MD -- Snowstorm damages research center on February 23, 2006.
Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX -- Whooping cranes command attention on February 22, 2006.
US Geological Survey Press Release, Reston, VA -- Winter Storm Damage Could Affect Whooping Crane Breeding Season on February 17, 2006
Grand Island Independent, Grand Island, NE -- Winter storm damage could affect whooper breeding season on February 17, 2006.
Business Gazette, Gaithersburg, MD -- Snowstorm damages whooping crane complex at Laurel wildlife center on February 16, 2006
MORE WHOOPERS IN THE NEWS...

*Note: these articles may only be posted for a limited time.

WHOOPING CRANE FLOCK STATUS:  WILD POPULATION  ||   CAPTIVE POPULATIONS   ||   TOTAL

Online Publications:

Proceedings of the Eighth North American Crane Workshop
Cranes: Their Biology, Husbandry and Conservation
Importance of Genetic Diversity in Whooping Cranes (Adobe PDF File)

See our Whooping Crane Videos!