The only remaining self-sustaining wild population of Whooping Cranes breeds in and near Canada’s Wood Buffalo National Park (NWT, Alberta) and winters in coastal Texas. Although likely never an abundant species, the Whooping Crane was assessed as Endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in 1978 because of its rapid decline to very low abundance in the early 20th century. It was re-confirmed as Endangered in 2000 and 2010 because of its small population size, despite continual growth of the population since the initial designation in 1978. Intensive management in both Canada and the United States, where the species is also listed as Endangered, has allowed numbers in the wild to rebound from a low of 18 individuals in 1938 to a record high of 505 individuals (including adults and juveniles) in the winter of 2017-18. Canada's responsibility for this species' conservation is very high. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
The original Whooping Crane decline has been largely attributed to the conversion of natural grasslands into agricultural fields (Allen 1952), unregulated hunting (Meine and Archibald 1996), and destruction of important wetlands (Lewis 1995); threats to habitat, particularly during migration and winter, remain the main factor limiting population recovery (COSEWIC 2010e). The Whooping Crane's restricted range during both breeding and wintering seasons leaves it highly vulnerable to extreme weather events and to direct human influence (e.g., development, boat traffic, or chemical spills near wintering sites; Lewis 1995, COSEWIC 2010e). Collisions with human-made structures such as power lines, especially during migration, and disease, present additional mortality risks, while predation, late maturity, and small clutch sizes all further limit population growth (Lewis 1995, COSEWIC 2010e). Since 1967, intensive captive-breeding efforts have permitted the establishment of additional managed wild populations. However, these captive-reared individuals have difficulty rearing their own young in the wild (COSEWIC 2010e, Barzen et al. 2018), leading management agencies in Canada and the United States to explore modifications to their captive-breeding programs (e.g., USFWS 2015). For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and to view the Recovery Strategy, see the SARA Registry.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
