Defenders of Wildlife Blog

The endangered whooping crane made a huge step towards recovery this week, as biologists reintroduced ten captive-bred birds to the southwest marshes of Louisiana. Guided to their new wetland homes by their crane “parents” (biologists dressed in crane costumes), these whoopers literally took their first steps towards becoming a viable wild population. The state, which has not seen a whooping crane since 1950, will now host an annually growing population of these cranes at its White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area.

The whooping crane stands at nearly five feet tall, with a wingspan of up to seven feet. These magnificent birds used to range as far as the Arctic coast (breeding grounds) to central Mexico (wintering areas). But by the mid 19^th century, whooper numbers began plummeting as they lost their homes to development and agriculture or their lives to hunters. By 1967, the whooping crane was declared an endangered species, and captive breeding programs were created to prevent complete extinction.

At White Lake, where humans once caused their disappearance, humans now can work to bring the whooping crane back to its rightful place.

Defenders has been actively involved in the process to bring whoopers back to Louisiana. Last fall, we submitted more than 23,000 comments from our supporters to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and also sent local activists to meetings to support reintroduction.

Defenders in Action

Defenders has been actively involved in the process to bring whoopers back to Louisiana. Last fall, we submitted more than 23,000 comments from our supporters to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and also sent local activists to meetings to support reintroduction. We emphasized the need to minimize conflict between the cranes and nearby landowners and protect cranes from any other wildlife management activities. Fortunately, our concerns were addressed, and our recommendations will be used ensure a safe and successful reintroduction.

What You Can Do

Did you know? The whooping crane gets its name from its whooping call. Click here for more information about these cool cranes.

They are the tallest birds in North America… but whooping cranes are in short supply in Louisiana. In fact, these beautiful birds—once native to the state—were eliminated from Louisiana during the last century.

Whooping cranes have been on the federal list of endangered species since March 11, 1967. Yet, they remain highly endangered.

Help return these amazing birds to Louisiana. Urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to approve a plan to re-introduce the whooping crane to their historic habitat in Louisiana.

Whooping cranes have been on the federal list of endangered species since March 11, 1967. Yet, they remain highly endangered.

There are just three wild whooping crane populations in the U.S. and a captive breeding population spread across 12 locations. No wild whooping cranes are now found in Louisiana—despite the existence of good habitat in the state for this amazing bird.

Beautiful whooping cranes could soon grace Louisiana’s skies and marshes again… but not unless caring wildlife supporters like you speak up now. Please take action now!

Last night, Canadian TV’s news staff got on the phone with Richard Charter, offshore drilling expert and senior policy adviser at Defenders of Wildlife, to hear what he had to say about the explosion of the Vermilion 380, an offshore drilling platform owned by Mariner Energy of Houston.

After monitoring the aftermath of the explosion almost 100 miles south of Louisiana, Richard said, “Everyone is relieved that 13 workers were rescued safely from the waters, but in terms of environmental consequences it’s too early to tell.”

He told CTV of the company that owned the rig, “Mariner Energy since 2006 has had nine reported incidents in the Gulf of Mexico, including four fires and one blowout. There are these smaller events consistently throughout the Gulf of Mexico that we don’t usually hear about because they don’t occur – by coincidence – on the same day, today, that BP experts were removing the capping stack from the Deepwater Horizon Macondo well.”

The current moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico would not have affected this rig, drilling at only 340 feet. Richard said, “The event today of course highlights that there are inherent risks of accidents in offshore drilling activities in any water depth.”

“We need to either make this activity safe or decide there are going to be  parts of hte planet that are too environmentally sensitive to go ahead with high risk drilling – the Arctic is of course one of  them. We’re getting some hard lessons as a society here.”

See the full interview here.

What you can do:

Write a letter to the editor. The House of Representatives has passed legislation to help protect our wildlife by improving safety and accountability in offshore drilling, but the Senate has yet to act. Help encourage your senators to act by writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.

Support our work. Your tax-deductible donation will help us protect sea turtles and other wildlife from the dangers of reckless offshore drilling.

A green winged teal, one of the ducks threatened by the spill. Photo courtesy of Tom Munson, US Fish and Game

By October, large numbers of migratory birds will flock south to the Gulf of Mexico after a summer spent in Canada’s Boreal Forest. Ready to spend the winter in Louisiana marshes - typically rich with food -  these ducks have no idea what’s in store for them when they touch down. What impacts will a vastly different Gulf region have on these birds?

Dr. Jeff Wells, senior scientist for the Boreal Songbird Initiative, an organization dedicated to outreach and education about the importance of the Boreal Forest region to North America’s birds, other wildlife and the global environment, addresses this very question in a new article, “Gulf oil spill puts million of Canada’s migratory birds at risk.”

“The Gulf Coast, especially the Mississippi River Delta, is vitally important for many wetland bird species. The marshes, beaches and tidal flats provide ideal nesting and migratory stopover habitat for millions of waterfowl, seabirds, shorebirds and other waterbirds. These habitats also house the fish, mollusks and other marine life of the Gulf of Mexico, which make up the food supply for these birds. Scientists worry that the impact on some of the smaller food sources like plankton could have a far-reaching ripple effect on the entire food chain.”

Click here to read the full article and learn more about what awaits Canada’s migratory birds upon their return to the Gulf of Mexico.

Join Defenders of  Wildlife board member Jeff Corwin as he continues to document how the Gulf oil disaster will impact wildlife in the region. In this Nightly News piece with MSNBC’s Brian Williams, Jeff dives right in to check on the health of the largest fish on the planet: the whale shark.

They may be large (growing up to 40 feet in length!), but whale sharks are gentle giants, feeding mostly on plankton filtered through their enormous mouths. Feeding at the base of the food chain, they are at great risk in a still oil-stricken Gulf. However, the sharks are also a great indicator species for the health of the entire Gulf ecosystem. By affixing tracking devices to their fins, researchers can follow the fish and the depth at which they swim.

“Now that this whale shark has been fitted with transmitters, we’ll now know if it’s coming into harm’s way.” Jeff explains from the water.

Despite weather-related setbacks, the federal government says work must go forward on a relief well meant to permanently plug BP’s blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said during a news conference today that the well has not yet been killed. Read the full AP story here.

But that doesn’t mean that Gulf communities will bounce back as soon as the cement sets. In the New York Times’ DotEarth blog, Andrew Revkin recounts some lessons in resilience. As Hurricane Katrina demonstrated all too well, creating community resilience is a long-term process. 

In fact, economic pain is worsening in the Gulf region, reports AFP. Fishermen express fear that it could take years or decades for the region’s fisheries to recover from the oil and chemical dispersants now mixed in Gulf waters, and lament BP’s tardiness in reimbursing their lost business.

Meanwhile, the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival plans on celebrating its 75th year come Sept. 2nd. In some ways, says the Times-Picayune, the festival (which has been cancelled just once and postponed twice) is “more resilient than its namesake industries.”