This pie chart shows the relative likelihood of observing particular other species commonly observed near Grus americana

Range and Population:

Grus americana declined from 1,300-1,400 birds before 1870 to 14 adults in 1938^4,11. The only self-sustaining wild population breeds in Wood Buffalo National Park, on the border of Northwest Territories and Alberta, Canada, and winters at and near Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, USA⁵. It increased at c.5% per year from 1966 to 1998 (but the population has since stabilised¹³), and totalled 216 birds in 2004¹⁶, with 50 active nests in 2000¹⁰. A reintroduced flock migrates between Wisconsin and Florida, numbering 42 birds in 2004¹⁶. A reintroduced, non-migratory flock in Florida numbered c.74 in 2004, with more released annually^{2,5,6,10,12,16}. An experimental migratory flock in Idaho, wintering south to New Mexico, dwindled to 1-2 birds in 1999 and has been discontinued². Captive flocks totalled 151 birds in 2001 at four main locations in the USA and Canada^2,6,10,12.[1]
Countries:Native:
Canada; United States

Regionally extinct:
Mexico

[1][1]

Habitat Overview:

Whooping cranes inhabit marshes and prairie potholes in the summer. In winter, they are found in coastal marshes and prairies.

Biome:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Ecology Notes:

It breeds in prairie wetlands, preferring small, shallow lakes and ponds, willow communities, marshes, mudflats and perhaps sedge meadows, but this may be atypical considering its historical range^1,11. Eggs are laid from late April to mid-May¹. It winters in coastal brackish wetlands.[1]

List of Habitats:5.5Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) 5.7Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) 13.4Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes

In sections below, we make some habitat inferences based on the known habitat preferences of those species most commonly associated with Grus americana.

Zone:

alpine, montane, subtropics, temperate.

Vegetation:

alpine meadows, boreal forest, brush piles, brushy fence rows, canebrakes, coniferous forests, croplands, cultivated areas, deciduous woods and forests, desert, desert scrub, disturbed sites, fence rows, fields, forest edges, forests, gardens, grasslands, hammocks, hardwood forests, mature forests, meadows, moist woods, montane forests, open forests, pasture, pine forests, rain forest, shrubby vegetation, small trees, thickets, tropical forest, tundra grassland.

Terrain:

flood plains, hillsides, mountain slopes, pastureland, roadsides, rock outcrops, sand dunes, streamsides, urban areas, valleys.

Soil and Rock:

clay, loam, sandy areas, sandy soil.

Water in Area:

along rivers, bays, bogs, brackish water, ditches, dry areas, estuaries, flood plains, freshwater springs and oases, lagoon, lakes, marshes, mesic areas, ponds, rivers, saltwater, shores, stream banks, streams, swamps, swampy areas.

Slopes in Area:

hillsides, ravines, rocky slopes.