Hamilton Mack Laing's specimen of a whooping crane, Grus americana

Hamilton Mack Laing, a hunter-naturalist, taught in rural schools in southwestern Manitoba, Canada, from 1901 to 1911. He collected a whooping crane ( Grus americana) near Whitewater Lake in 1905, which he later regretted when the species's decline and rarity were becoming recognized. Although suggested otherwise, there is no evidence that Laing collected more than one whooping crane.

Revisiting the historical nesting record of the Whooping Crane at Batt Lefford, Saskatchewan

Revisiting the historical nesting record of the Whooping Crane at Batt Lefford, Saskatchewan

Identifying, Protecting and Managing Stopover Habitats for Wild Whooping Cranes on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lakes

The Whooping Crane (Grus americana) is one of North America’s most endangered species. There is only one wild, self-sustaining migratory population of Whooping Cranes, the Aransas–Wood Buffalo population (AWBP). The birds of the AWBP migrate 4,000 km twice each year between their nesting grounds in northern Canada and their wintering grounds on the Texas Gulf Coast. During migration, AWBP Whooping Cranes must land at suitable ponds or wetlands to forage, rest or roost. The Whooping Crane Recovery Plan, developed by federal wildlife agencies in Canada and the USA, calls for the protection and management of Whooping Crane stopover locations within the migration corridor. Although major stopover areas have been protected, many other smaller sites remain to be identified. However, the Recovery Plan offers no specific entity to identify, protect and manage the latter. To address these deficiencies in information and activity, Friends of the Wild Whoopers partnered with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) within the AWBP migration corridor to share information about Whooping Cranes and their habitat needs and identify potential stopover locations on USACE properties that could be protected and managed for cranes. This partnership identified 624 potential stopover sites on 34 USACE lakes, principally in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, with commitments to manage the habitats as resources allow.

William Rowan and Canada’s 5¢ Whooping Crane stamp: the proposal and a Saskatchewan photograph

This article focused on the photograph of two Whooping Cranes in Saskatchewan that William Rowan used as a basis of a stamp issued by Canada Post in 1955. Details of the proposal submitted in support of this issue are outlined.