The whooping crane is a large, iconic bird that is one of the rarest cranes in the world. There are only about 500 whooping cranes left in the wild, with a majority of the population concentrated in just a couple key areas. Given their endangered status, the presence or absence of whooping cranes in a state like Michigan would be noteworthy. So does Michigan have whooping cranes residing within its borders?
Background on Whooping Cranes
The whooping crane, with the scientific name Grus americana, is the tallest bird in North America, standing at about 5 feet tall. They have a wingspan of 7 to 8 feet and are bright white in color with black wingtips, a red crown, and a long, dark pointed bill.
Whooping cranes are migratory birds that nest in Canada and winter along the Texas Gulf Coast. Their central migratory flyway goes across the Great Plains states in the United States, including Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
Historically, whooping cranes inhabited wetlands across North America, from the Artic coast to the Gulf of Mexico to the Rocky Mountains. However, habitat loss and overhunting caused the whooping crane population to drastically decline until just 16 wild whooping cranes were left in 1941.
Thanks to significant conservation efforts over the past 80 years, the total wild whooping crane population has slowly rebounded to around 500 birds today. However, whooping cranes are still considered an endangered species and face threats from power lines, wind turbines, habitat degradation, and more. The recovery and protection of additional populations remains an important goal.
Current Whooping Crane Populations
The 500 or so whooping cranes residing in the wild today are divided among four main flocks:
Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population
– This is the only self-sustaining, migratory population of whooping cranes. The cranes nest in Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Canada and winter along the Texas Gulf Coast around Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.
– It is by far the largest wild flock with over 300 whooping cranes as of 2018.
– The Aransas-Wood Buffalo population migrates 2,500 miles across the Great Plains states each way every year.
Eastern Migratory Population
– Through an intensive reintroduction effort, a non-migratory flock of whooping cranes was established in central Florida in 1993.
– Starting in 2001, whooping cranes have been conditioned to follow an ultralight aircraft to migrate between Wisconsin and Florida. This establishes a migratory eastern flock.
– There are now around 100 whooping cranes in this eastern migratory population that winters in Florida and Georgia and summers and breeds in Wisconsin.
Louisiana Non-Migratory Population
– In 2011, juvenile whooping cranes were released directly into the wetlands of Louisiana, where they remain year-round as a non-migratory flock.
– This population numbered around 70 birds by 2018.
Southwest Non-Migratory Population
– A small non-migratory flock was established starting in 2009 in Louisiana andTexas with juveniles released directly into the wild.
– This population remains small, with around 20 cranes.
So in summary, today’s whooping cranes are concentrated in Canada, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Wisconsin, and Georgia. The vast majority are either part of the central Canada to Texas migratory flock or are non-migratory flocks established through recent reintroduction efforts farther east.
Whooping Crane Sightings in Michigan
Michigan lies east of the traditional migratory flyway for whooping cranes through the Great Plains states. However, there have been occasional sightings of individual whooping cranes in Michigan over the years, likely representing birds that strayed off course during migration.
Here are some examples of documented whooping crane sightings in Michigan:
Washtenaw County (1952)
– In 1952, a pair of whooping cranes was observed in agricultural fields near Manchester, Michigan in Washtenaw County.
– These birds remained in the area from March until at least mid-April.
– This sighting occurred before the population had reached critical levels, when there may have been a few more whooping cranes still migrating through eastern areas.
Berrien County (1976)
– A single whooping crane was observed by a wetland near Coloma, Michigan in Berrien County in March 1976.
– It stayed at this site for about a week before moving on.
Hillsdale County (1981)
– In fall 1981, two whooping cranes stopped at the Michigan-Ohio border near Hillsdale County.
– These birds were part of a failed reintroduction experiment involving migratory sandhill crane chicks.
Van Buren County (2006)
– In November 2006, a juvenile whooping crane was confirmed feeding alongside sandhill cranes near Mattawan, Michigan in Van Buren County.
– The bird remained in this area for about 2 weeks before disappearing.
– It likely migrated to the area with a flock of sandhill cranes before breaking off on its own.
Allegan County (2011)
– In fall 2011, a juvenile whooping crane was spotted by birders at a wildlife refuge in Allegan County.
– It was seen off and on between October and December.
Kalamazoo County (2013)
– A young whooping crane turned up with sandhill cranes at a wetland preserve in Kalamazoo County in October 2013.
– It stayed for about a week before migrating south with its sandhill crane group.
So while rare, there are occasional reports of lone whooping cranes or pairs stopping in Michigan, likely having strayed from their normal migration route through the Great Plains. The above sightings suggest southwestern Michigan may see more occurrences than other parts of the state. But to date, there is no evidence of a resident population in Michigan.
Possibility of Future Whooping Cranes in Michigan
While whooping cranes have not established a persistent presence in Michigan, could they potentially live there in the future?
There are a few factors that influence whether Michigan could eventually host wintering or breeding whooping cranes:
Habitat Availability
– Whooping cranes require wetland habitat, including marshes, wet prairies, and shallow portions of lakes and rivers. Michigan has lost many of its original wetlands, but some suitable habitat remains, especially in the Saginaw Bay area.
– Agricultural fields also provide habitat, as long as adequate wetlands are nearby.
– With wetland restoration and management, Michigan could potentially provide habitat to support wintering and potentially breeding whooping cranes.
Food Availability
– Whooping cranes are omnivores and feed on small fish, frogs, aquatic plants, insects, snails, rodents, and grains in fields.
– Michigan can likely provide sufficient food sources. Agricultural grain and associated rodents may provide a particularly important food source.
Proximity to Other Populations
– Michigan is relatively close to the migratory flyway through Indiana and Ohio that whooping cranes may expand into from the Wisconsin breeding grounds.
– If the eastern migratory population continues to increase, Michigan could start seeing more frequent migrant and wintering whooping cranes.
Climate
– Whooping cranes can withstand colder climates and migrate thousands of miles.
– Michigan’s climate is likely not a limiting factor to whooping crane establishment. Milder Great Lakes winters may even be beneficial.
Awareness and Protection
– Whooping cranes face threats from power lines, wind turbines, hunters, and habitat loss.
– Public awareness efforts and habitat protections would need to increase before Michigan could support whooping cranes.
So in conclusion, while not impossible, significant expansion of wetland habitat, as well as population growth of the reintroduced eastern migratory flock, would likely need to occur before Michigan would be in a position to sustain wintering or breeding whooping cranes. But the potential exists for Michigan to eventually play a role in whooping crane recovery.
Conclusion
In summary, Michigan has no current breeding or resident population of whooping cranes. However, the state has seen occasional migrant and wintering whooping cranes over the decades, largely limited to the southern part of the state. These likely represent lost individuals from the migratory central Canada-Texas population. With wetland restoration and the growth of the eastern migratory flock, Michigan could someday support wintering or potentially breeding whooping cranes. But the state currently lies outside the primary range of this iconic endangered species. Continued conservation efforts to enhance wetland habitat and expand whooping crane populations may improve the prospects for whooping cranes returning to parts of their former range in the eastern United States, including states like Michigan.