Whooping Cranes 1, Texas 0

[The Straight Story]

Whooping Cranes 1, Texas 0

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (CN) - Texas violated the Endangered Species Act by diverting freshwater from a critical whooping crane refuge and must act to protect the birds, a federal judge ruled.

The judge noted that the environmental groups gathered credible evidence from world-renowned experts, including a Nobel Laureate, whereas one of Texas's experts "admitted that he had made up [an] entire statement" to try to defend the state, the judge wrote.

The state's whooping crane population teetered closer to extinction after the harsh winter of 2008-09 brought the death of 23 birds, environmentalists claimed in Federal Court.

The Aransas Project (TAP), a coalition of groups concerned with the birds' decline in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, sued the state in March 2010.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/03/15/55750.htm

[Buzz Clik]

1. Good deal!

[klook]

2. Outstanding.

As a huge fan of Operation Migration and of whooping cranes (and sandhill cranes) everywhere, I'm very happy to hear this!

Whooping cranes take their name from their distinctive whooping call. During the early spring courtship, a pair of birds may perform a duet, or unison call. A nesting whooper frequently bugles loud and clear during the early morning hours. This sound carries over several kilometers, and it is used by the adults to advertise their breeding territory to other Whooping Cranes. Adult birds at the nest use a purring sound referred to as a contact call to communicate with newly hatched chicks.

When the weather is good and the winds favourable, a migrating Whooping Crane flies like a glider, on fixed wings. The bird spirals upwards (aided by thermal activity), glides down, dropping as low as 70 m above ground, and then begins spiraling upwards again. This spiraling and gliding, carried out when the cranes encounter suitable thermal updrafts, is energy-efficient and allows the cranes to fly nonstop for great distances.

In flight, Whooping cranes can be distinguished from other large white birds by the long neck extended forward and legs that trail equally straight behind. Whooping cranes communicate vocally with each other even while flying, using flight calls. Birds often confused with the Whooping Crane are American White Pelican, Tundra Swan, and Lesser Snow Goose. All three species are mostly or entirely white but, in flight, none has long legs trailing behind.
- http://www.operationmigration.org/work_wcranes.html