There is only one wild migratory flock of whooping cranes of about 194 birds. The flock migrates from Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. This arduous journey of 2,700 miles takes weeks. In the 1950s, there were less than 20 birds left. Governments and conservation groups helped save the flock.

The Whooping Crane (Grus americana) is an endangered crane species named for its whooping sound and call. Along with the Sandhill Crane, it is one of only two cranes species found in North America. The whooping crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild and is the tallest bird in North America.

The species stands nearly 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall with a wingspan of 2.3 meters (7.5 feet). Males weigh on average 7.5 kg (17 lb), while females weigh about 6.5 kg (14 lb). The only other very large, long-legged white birds in North America are:

1. Great Egret, which is over a foot shorter and one-seventh the weight of this crane
2. Great White Heron, which is a morph of the Great Blue Heron in Florida
3. Wood Stork

Both of the latter are about 30% smaller than the crane. Herons and storks are also quite different in structure from the crane.

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