Species Profile
Environmental Conservation Online System

Whooping crane (Grus americana)

Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Gruidae

Listing Status:    and  

General Information

132 cm. Large white crane. Adults white with red crown and black forehead, lores and moustache (tipped red), and red facial skin around large, horn-coloured bill. Shows black primaries in flight. Immature whitish with scattered brown feathers over wings and paler, reddish-brown head and neck.

Population detail

The FWS is currently monitoring the following populations of the Whooping crane 

  • Population location: Entire, except where listed as an experimental population
    Listing status:  Endangered
    • States/US Territories in which this population is known to occur:  Colorado , Kansas , Montana , Nebraska , North Dakota , Oklahoma , South Dakota , Texas
    • USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:  ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , AUDUBON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , AUDUBON WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT , BUFFALO LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE , CHASE LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE  ... Show All Refuges
    • Countries in which the this population is known to occur:  Canada
    • For more information:  http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/life_histories/B003.html
  • Population location: U.S.A. (CO, ID, FL, NM, UT, and the western half of Wyoming)
    Listing status:  Experimental Population, Non-Essential
  • Population location: U.S.A.(AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NC, OH, SC, TN, VA, WI, WV)
    Listing status:  Experimental Population, Non-Essential
    • States/US Territories in which this population is known to occur:  Alabama , Arkansas , Georgia , Illinois , Indiana , Iowa , Kentucky , Louisiana , Michigan , Minnesota , Mississippi , Missouri , North Carolina , Ohio , South Carolina , Tennessee , Virginia , West Virginia , Wisconsin
    • For more information:  http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/life_histories/B003.html
Current Listing Status Summary
Status Date Listed Lead Region Where Listed
03/11/1967 Southwest Region (Region 2) except where EXPN
01/22/1993 Southeast Region (Region 4) U.S.A. (CO, ID, FL, NM, UT, and the western half of Wyoming)
06/26/2001 Southwest Region (Region 2) U.S.A.(AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NC, OH, SC, TN, VA, WI, WV)

» Federal Register Documents

Most Recent Federal Register Documents (Showing 5 of 15 : view all)
Date Citation Page Title
05/29/2007 72 FR 29544 Notice of Availability of the Revised Recovery Plan for the Whooping Crane (Grus americana)
01/11/2005 70 FR 1902 1903 Notice of Availability of the Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Whooping Crane (Grus americana)
06/26/2001 66 FR 33903 33917 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Whooping Cranes in the Eastern United States
03/09/2001 66 FR 14107 14119 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposal to Establish a Nonessential Experimental Population of Whooping Cranes in the Eastern United States
07/21/1997 62 FR 38932 38939 ETWP; Final Rule to Designate the Whooping Crane of the Rocky Mountains as Experimental Nonessential and to Remove Whooping Crane Critical Habitat Designations From Four Locations
Most Recent Special Rule Publications (Showing 3 of 3 )
Date Citation Page Title
06/26/2001 66 FR 33903 33917 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Whooping Cranes in the Eastern United States
07/21/1997 62 FR 38932 38939 ETWP; Final Rule to Designate the Whooping Crane of the Rocky Mountains as Experimental Nonessential and to Remove Whooping Crane Critical Habitat Designations From Four Locations
02/06/1996 61 FR 4394 4401 ETWP; Proposal to Designate the Whooping Cranes of the Rocky Mountains as Experimental Nonessential and to Remove Whooping Crane Critical Habitat Designations From Four Locations

» Recovery

Recovery Plan Information Search
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Date Title Plan Action Status Plan Status
05/29/2007 Whooping Crane Recovery Plan, Final Third Revision View Implementation Progress Final Revision 3
Other Recovery Documents (Showing 2 of 2 )
Date Citation Page Title Document Type
05/29/2007 72 FR 29544 Notice of Availability of the Revised Recovery Plan for the Whooping Crane (Grus americana)
  • Notice Final Recovery Plan Availability
    • 01/11/2005 70 FR 1902 1903 Notice of Availability of the Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Whooping Crane (Grus americana)
  • Notice Draft Recovery Plan Availability

    • » Critical Habitat

    Current Critical Habitat Documents (Showing 3 of 3 )
    Date Citation Page Title Document Type Status
    08/17/1978 43 FR 36588 36590 Proposed Critical Habitat for the Whooping Crane Proposed Rule Not Required
    05/15/1978 43 FR 20938 20942 Determination of Critical Habitat for the Whooping Crane Final Rule Active
    12/16/1975 40 FR 58308 58312 Proposed Determination of Critical Habitat for Snail Darter, American Crocodile, Whooping Crane, California Condor, Indiana Bat, and Florida Manatee; 40 FR 58308 58312 (Percina (Imostoma) sp., Crocodylus acutus, Grus americana, Gymnogyps californicus, Myotis sodalis, Trichechus manatus) Proposed Rule Not Required

    To learn more about critical habitat please see http://criticalhabitat.fws.gov

    » Conservation Plans

    No conservation plans have been created for Whooping crane

    » Petitions

    No petition findings have been published for the Whooping crane.

    » Life History

    No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.

    » Other Resources

    NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

    ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

    Last updated: November 21, 2009