The annual migration of wild whooping cranes is quickly drawing to a close this year with what is believed to be the last stragglers of the flock arriving on the Texas coast in late December (2010). There's some good news for these magnificent and endangered American birds this year. According to birding experts, the wild population of 'whoopers', which originate in the Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories of Canada, have increased slightly in numbers with a reported 290 birds expected to make the annual trekk from Canada to the Texas coast this winter. "Right now everything is looking good," reports Tom Stehn, whooping crane coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "This is because of abundant water resources in Canada this past summer." Stehn says conditions on the Texas coast are also good to help the flock survive the winter. The wild Whooping Crane flock spends its summers in Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Here they nest and rear their young. But during the fall season, the Whoopers migrate some 2,500 miles south, primarily to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge near Rockport where they spend the winter and early spring. Beginning in 1993, a second flock of Whooping Cranes was reintroduced in central Florida. An average of 20 chicks, hatched and reared in captivity, have been released at the Florida site each year in an effort to establish a new flock of non-migratory Whoopers. Some of these birds matured and began nesting. In 2002, the first Whooping Crane in this flock fledged. The Whooping Crane (Grus americana), is the tallest North American bird. It was named for the whooping sound and calls it makes. Along with the Sandhill Crane, it is one of only two crane species found in North America. The whooping crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild. Adult whooping cranes are white with a red crown and a long, dark, pointed bill. Immature whooping cranes are pale brown. While in flight, their long necks are kept straight and their long dark legs trail behind. Adult whooping cranes' black wing tips are visible during flight. The species stands nearly 5 feet with a wingspan of 7.5 feet. Males weigh on average 17 pounds, while females weigh about 14 pounds. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the whooping crane is endangered mainly as a result of habitat loss. At one time, the range for these birds extended throughout midwestern North America. In 1941, the wild population consisted of 21 birds. Since then, the population has increased, largely due to conservation efforts. The whooping crane is one of the rarest birds in North America. The USFWS says that 266 whooping cranes made the migration to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in 2007 and slightly less over the next two seasons. At least 237 endangered whooping cranes have made their way from Canada to a Texas refuge where they will spend the winter. The Corpus Christi Caller-Times recently reported that biologists counted 199 adult and 38 juvenile whooping cranes at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge by the first week in December (2010). State and federal wildlife officials say they expect as many as 290 cranes to make the trip from their nesting grounds in Canada - an extraordinary comeback two years after the deadliest winter on record for the critically endangered bird. Birders from across America and the world will flock to the Texas coast this winter to view these magnificent birds in their natural winter habitat. One of the best places and times to see them is during the annual Port Aransas Whooping Crane Festival, sceheduled this year (2011) Feb. 24-27. During the event, birders can participate in workshops, special tours and a host of other activities that highlight the annual migration of the Whoopers. Special activities include tours of area ranches and birding hot spots, boat tours to St. Jo Island and the Aransas Wildlife Refuge for crane viewing, special guided tours of natural wetlands, and photography workshops to help birders to take better photos of the migratory flock. For more information about the festival, visit Port Aransas' quality festioval site: http://whoopingcranefestival.org.