Resources
Dive into the books, research, and organizations that have made an impact in whooping crane conservation.
Into Whooperland
Mike Forsberg’s book, Into Whooperland, documents the lives and fragile habitats of the whooping crane — the majestic yet threatened, five-foot-tall white bird that has become the weathervane of America’s commitment to wildlife.
Buy Now
Going the Distance
Read about the perilous migratory journey of one whooping crane, 15J, in the article “Going the Distance” in the April 2024 issue of National Geographic. Written by Rene Ebersole and with photos by Mike Forsberg, this story is one you don’t want to miss.
Read
Organizations
These some of the entities that have significantly impacted whooping crane conservation through reintroduction efforts, habitat management, and/or education.
American Bird Conservancy
A non-profit membership organization with the mission of conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas.
Aransas NWR
A national wildlife refuge along the Texas Gulf Coast that is a designated critical habitat and the wintering grounds for whooping cranes.
Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary
A nature sanctuary located along the Platte River in south-central Nebraska. The Platte River is a designated critical habitat for whooping cranes.
Canadian Wildlife Services
Their mission is founded on the conservation of migratory birds and at-risk species and the protection of critical wildlife habitat.
Cheyenne Bottoms
A 41,000-acre wetland complex in central Kansas and one of the top staging areas for shorebirds and waterfowl in the United States. It is a designated critical habitat for whooping cranes.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
A member-supported unit of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, which studies birds and other wildlife.
The Crane Trust
A habitat conservation nonprofit located on the Platte River in south-central Nebraska. Their mission is to protect habitat for sandhill cranes, whooping cranes, and other migratory bird species.
Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center
A species survival center working to establish a wild population of whooping cranes in Louisiana.
International Crane Foundation
ICF works worldwide to conserve cranes and the ecosystems, watersheds, and flyways on which they depend.
Louisiana Department of Fish and Wildlife
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is responsible for managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources.
National Geographic
A global non-profit dedicated to use the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the planet.
Platte Basin Timelapse
A conservation storytelling project—exploring watersheds, building community, and inspiring care for our natural world.
Platte River Recovery Implementation Program
A partnership among three states and the Department of Interior to improve the management of Platte River habitats for threatened and endangered species like the whooping crane.
Quivira NWR
A 22,135-acre national wildlife refuge in south-central Kansas, with rare inland marshes. It is a designated critical habitat for whooping cranes.
Salt Plains NWR
A 32,197-acre national wildlife refuge in Oklahoma and is made up of wetlands, prairies, and about 12,000 acres of salt flats. It is a designated critical habitat for whooping cranes.
Wood Buffalo National Park
A national park in northern Canada that is a designated critical habitat and the breeding grounds for whooping cranes.
Further Reading
- Persistent Genomic Erosion in Whooping Cranes Despite Demographic Recovery, Claudia Fontsere, et al., (2025)
- Whooping Crane Nesting Behavior, Parental Care, and Ecology at Wood Buffalo National Park, Andrew Caven & Michael Forsberg, (2025)
- Biological Case Against Downlisting the Whooping Crane and for Improving Implementation under the Endangered Species Act, Andrew Caven, et al., (2023)
- Heterogeneity in migration strategies of Whooping Cranes, Aaron T. Pearse, et al., (2022)
- Wild by Design: The Rise of Ecological Restoration, Laura J. Martin, (2022)
- Whooping Crane Stay Length in Relation to Stopover Site Characteristics, Andrew Caven, et al., (2022)
- Whooping Crane (Grus americana) family consumes a diversity of aquatic vertebrates during fall migration stopover at the Platte River, Nebraska, Andrew Caven, et al., (2021)
- Species Review: Whooping Crane, Elizabeth Smith, et al., (2019)
- Whooping Cranes: Biology and Conservation, John French Jr., et al., (2019)
- Evaluation of Nocturnal Roost and Diurnal Sites Used by Whooping Cranes in the Great Plains, United States, Aaron T. Pearse, et al., (2017)
- My Life With Cranes, George Archibald, (2016)
- The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story, Kathleen Kaska, (2012)
- Sandhill and Whooping Cranes: Ancient Voices over America’s Wetlands, Paul Johnsgard, (2011)
- A Retrospective of Whooping Cranes in Captivity, Cindi Barrett & Thomas Stehn, (2010)
- Whooping Crane International Recovery Plan, (2007)
- Status of Whooping Cranes in Nebraska, Myron Swenk, (1921)
- The Whooping Crane, Robert Porter Allen, (1952)
Donate
- International Crane Foundation
Get Involved
There are many ways to support whooping cranes, whether that’s through making a donation or sharing your whooping crane story.