Whooping Crane A Visit to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge The vast salt marsh has low grass, safer for cranes; they can see predators. Each crane pair's territory is about 1/2 square mile, or 320 *acres. What else lives at Aransas besides whoopers? *(An acre is about the size of a football field.) The Whooping Cranes! Photos by Ben Krein, Student Visitor from Columbus, OH These cranes were seen from a tour boat. They are about 50 yards away! They have gotten used to boat sounds. . This whooper family has one chick (right). The chick will leave its parents either during the spring journey north, or after arriving at the summer nesting grounds in Canada. It will try to squeeze in on the edge of its parents' territory until it is about 4 years old. Then it will claim its own territory.   Facebook Pinterest Twitter © 1997 – 2019 Journey North. All rights reserved.