A rare and elusive bird. Pictured here is one of the only flock that remains in the wild.
About 1,400 whooping cranes are believed to have existed in 1860. Their population declined
because of hunting and habitat loss until 1941 when the last migrating flock dwindled to an
all-time low of 16 birds. Thanks to conservation efforts, the wild flock has slowly increased
in number to 266 in 2008.

This flock winters in and around Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf coast of Texas.
In spring, they migrate north, nesting in Wood Buffalo National Park, which straddles the border
of Alberta and Northwest Territories in Canada.

Photographed along the Gulf coast near Rockport, Texas, USA.