Precious cargo indeed. Named for its “whooping” calls, the whooping crane is native to Wisconsin and, along with the sandhill crane is one of only two crane species native to North America.

"We are very pleased that whooping and sandhill cranes will now grace roadways all around the state and country," Dr. Rich Beilfuss, president and CEO of the International Crane Foundation, said ...

Sandhill cranes are gray in color, which may explain the common confusion with great blue herons. Whooping cranes are almost solid white except for their black wing tips that are exposed while flying.

The recent deaths of an estimated 1,500 sandhill cranes in Indiana due to bird flu has increased concerns for endanagered whooping cranes, including those that nest in Wisconsin.

Whooping cranes, however, have experienced a slower recovery with only 71 accounted for in Wisconsin, two in Illinois, two in Michigan and one in Minnesota, but their path is showing an upward trend.

The whooping cranes, part of the eastern migratory population that comes from Wisconsin, started migrating to Alabama in 2004 and their population is about between 12 and 20 each winter, said Young.

By LOWELL WASHBURN For The Globe Gazette Jun 12, 2010 0 ...

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, whooping cranes remain on the endangered list. On a more upbeat note, the IUCN places sandhill cranes in the category of least concern.

by Scott Hurley, FOX 11 News Wed, October 9th 2024 at 8:00 AM ...