From 1967 to 1996 a total of 441 eggs were collected from nests of the Aransas/Wood Buffalo cranes. What became of the eggs?

  • 225 eggs were used to establish and build the captive whooper population at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, the International Crane Foundation and the Calgary Zoo.
  • 216 eggs, along with captive-raised eggs or young, were used in attempts to establish two more wild populations: one in the Rocky Mountains and one in Florida.

Opinions clashed over collecting eggs from a species so rare. But the eggs were needed to safeguard the species. If a disaster had happened to the wild flock, Whooping Cranes may have become extinct. During the 30 years that eggs were collected, the Western flock grew from 48 birds to 159 birds!

No more eggs were collected after 1996. Since 1997 the captive centers supply all the Whooping Crane eggs for the maintaining the captive flock and for reintroduction programs — including the new Eastern flock.

The Big Egg Hunt helped save the species!

This chick, hatched at Patuxent WRC, will be part of the "Class of 2008 in the Eastern flock's ultralight-led migration.
Photo Bev Paulan, Operation Migration/WCEP