Whooping Crane Research at Aransas NWR: Well Worth the Wait
Our scorecard: week one: 1 bird, week two: 10 birds! ICF’s Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Barry Hartup returned earlier this month from a two-week field visit to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Texas to capture and band Whooping Cranes. The researchers successfully banded 11 birds as part of a study to learn more about the movements and health of the western Whooping Crane population.
The cranes that reside in Crane City at ICF underwent their annual health check this past Saturday, October 8th. Not unlike people lining up for immunizations, the cranes lined up for a physical examination, blood sampling, and in some cases, vaccination.
Join Dr. Barry Hartup, ICF’s Director of Veterinary Services, as he participates in an August 2011 expedition to the Whooping Crane’s remote breeding grounds at Wood Buffalo National Park in central Canada.