Whooping It Up

I was very glad to see the Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) at the Calgary Zoo. There are only two North American crane species, the other being the Sandhill Cranes.

The tallest bird in North America, the Whooping Crane has an amazing story, coming back from the winters of  1941-42 with a population of only 16 birds to approximately 377 in the wild, and 146 in captivity presently. Whooping Cranes have long been on the IUCN Red List. The Calgary Zoo has been contributing the long term survival of the species through it’s conservation breeding programs.

The cranes posed very nicely for me in a shaft of sunlight.

Nikon D300s, Nikkor 70-200mm @200mm, f/3.5, 1/2000 sec, ISO 500

In the best light…

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