LaneWhoopingCrane

**History:** The Whooping Crane has survived for millions of years in North America. At one point the species was spread out over a majority of the continent, with a population estimated between 15,000 and 20,000. When European settlers arrived and began to spread out across the country the population of the Whopping Crane began to decrease. At the beginning of the 19th Century their was only two known flocks of the Whooping Crane. A stationary one that lived in Louisiana and a Migratory Flock that lived in texas during the summer. The Whooping Crane has plays an important role in the ecosystems of North America. The Whooping Cranes consumes many plants and small animals, including the blue crab from which it receives the energy needed to migrate every winter. At the same time the Whooping Crane provides food for wolves, foxes, bobcats, lynx, raccoons, and coyotes.
 * Niche:**

The main two causes of Whooping Crane endangerment are habitat loss and unregulated hunting. As settlers turned west for expansion, they drained marshes and cleared Parries for agricultural use, which took away from available nesting areas of the Crane. When the Whooping Cranes abundance began to fall, museum collectors and hunters scrambled to catch the birds for their collections.
 * Causes of Endangerment**:
 * Laws/ Programs to protect the species:**
 * 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act - stopped the commercial hunting of the Whooping Crane
 * 1972 Endangered Species Act- recovery of the Whooping Crane begins
 * 1993 US Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduce a flock to central Florida
 * Protection of the Texas Whopping Crane results in a growth of population to 180 bi
 * Todays efforts of protecting the Whopping Crane involve teaching them how to migrate form Florida to Wisconsin using ultra light planes

Sources:
 * 1) "Whooping Crane History". National Wildlife Federation. 10/12/09 .
 * 2) Erickson, Laura. "Whooping Crane". 10/12/09 .
 * 3) "History Of Whopping Cranes". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 10/12/09 .
 * 4) Photos from creative commons