With the first sightings of iconic, endangered whooping cranes along the Texas coast being reported, the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is reminding Texans to be on the lookout for these impressive birds as they move through the state. Acting Whooping Crane Coordinator says that on October 21, a pair of whooping cranes were the first to arrive this season on Matagorda Island. Whooping cranes make a 2,500-mile journey from their Canadian breeding grounds in northern Alberta’s Wood Buffalo National Park to the coastal marshes
of Texas each year. Whooping cranes are the tallest, rarest birds in North America. Currently, there is a population of around 543.