Whooping cranes (Grus americana) have been making headlines this year. In February, they entered the spotlight as United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) suspended support for ultra-light led whooping crane migration, a program that since 2001 has aimed to assist in rearing self-sustaining populations. Then, earlier this month the first whooping crane chick to hatch in Louisiana since 1939 was recorded. Now, these birds are making headlines, and history, after a second chick in Louisiana hatched.
According to Audubon, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) along with USFWS, U.S. Geological Service (USGS) and the Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit have been engaged in a 15 year whooping crane repopulation program. In 2011, the cooperative introduced 10 captive-reared whooping cranes to White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area (WLWCA) in Louisiana. Each year LDWF introduces more. Unfortunately, not all nesting attempts have been successful.
Earlier this month LDWF shared information about pairs of mating whooping cranes that had unsuccessful clutches of eggs, despite their best efforts.
The hatching of these two chicks is welcomed news amid a string of egg hatching failures. Earlier this month LDWF shared information about pairs of mating whooping cranes that had unsuccessful clutches of eggs, despite their best efforts. For example, the pair known as L7 & 8-11 have laid 10 infertile eggs in three years. Another mating pair had their eggs removed after it was discovered that the embryo in one of their fertile eggs had died. In a Facebook post LDWF shared an image of the new chicks, LW1-16 and LW2-16.
NOLA reported that although two chicks hatched, only one is expected to survive.
