Black and White Migrating Birds

If Only They Were Whooping Cranes

Posted on TexBirds ListServe 28 October 2002 by Cliff Shackelford

I have never personally witnessed a Whooping Crane outside of the wintering
grounds (i.e., migrating individuals), but I understand that most family
groups migrate together; typically a mated pair and any young-of-the-year.
However, I have also heard that small flocks of up to a dozen migrating
whoopers can be seen as well.  These are believed to be mostly unmated
youngsters (a.k.a. subadults) -- not old enough to have started their own
family and no longer young enough to hangout with the parents.
Anthropomorphically speaking, this must be like a bunch of high school
teenagers.  This might explain the flock seen in Motley County in Anthony
Floyd's recent post.

On a related note, this brings up one of the more common
mis-identifications, in my opinion.  Observers, typically anglers or
non-birders, often report seeing hundreds and hundreds of Whooping Cranes
migrating overhead (i.e., high above Canyon Lake in Comal Co. in
mid-winter).  These reports involve more individual cranes than are known to
exist in the wild!  So, when we get a call that almost 500 "whooping cranes"
were seen flying over Reservoir X in mid-January, then we know exactly what
it was -- American White Pelicans.

Considering two important factors, location and date, are critical for many
bird identifications.  A similar story is true for Wood Storks from about
late May to mid-Oct in Texas.  These masters of soaring are all too often
mistaken for Whooping Cranes -- mostly at a time when the real whoopers are
still on the nesting grounds far to our north in Canada (i.e., Alberta and
The Northwest Territories).  The problem is that just about any gigantic
white soaring waterbird with black in the wings is perceived to be the most
unusual of the bunch, but most Texans aren't even aware that there are
choices.  They've heard about the endangered species, but not the common,
more expected ones.

A healthy list of some other common mis-id's was included in the last issue
of the Texas Partners in Flight FLYWAY Newsletter.  You can check out a PDF
version of it on-line at:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/birding/flyway_news/index.htm
 Click on Volume 9 and then scroll down to page 18 for the list.  Enjoy,

Cliff Shackelford
Texas Parks and Wildlife