Whooping Crane
This crane is called a "Whooping" crane because the sound it makes when it calls. This sound is made because of its long windpipe.
Only 15 whooping cranes remained in the in 1941. Today, there are nearly 300 of these birds in the wild and in captivity.
Whooping cranes originated in Nebraska but now live and nest in Canada. During the winter they migrate to Texas and Arkansas.
Here is a make believe story about how the Whooping Crane got its name and why it is endangered.
HOW THE WHOOPING CRANE GOT ITS NAME
By: my sister, Angela
Once upon a time a man was walking by this lake and he saw a beautiful white crane. The bird began to gracefully walk towards him, and because the man had a cold at the time he immediately began to cough loudly and the crane imitated his sound.
The next day, the man went to the doctor and found out that he had a disease called whooping cough and that the crane had followed him into the doctor's office and had helped the doctor to diagnose this disease. So, the man decided to keep the crane as a pet, but he couldn't think of a name for his pet. The bird began to imitate the sound of the whooping cough again, and so the man said, "I know what I will name you", and the bird looked inquisitively at the man and the man said "Tail".
After he had said this, the bird went up to the man and bit off his hat and swallowed it, so the man said, "Oops, I dont think I should call him that because he doesn't seem to like it very much." So, the man thought again and this time the crane imitated the coughing even louder and even more exaggerated, so the man said "I know!" He paused, "I will call you Feather."
The bird shook his head and hit his head with his wing and went up to the man and bit off his shirt. So, the man thought, "OK, I will think of another name- uh, how about Beak"? At this, the whooping crane cleared his throat very loudly and still annoyed went up to the man and bit off his pants and swallowed them whole.
The man, now in his underwear standing in the middle of the doctor's office thought, "Hmmm, I had better think of a good name this time or I'll soon be naked!" So he thought and he thought and the whooping crane coughed and coughed and then suddenly the crane went "Whhooooooooooooop". The man looked up and said "I got it!!, we can call you "Cough!". The crane shook his head again and thought to himself, "Oh well, heck with it. I will spare the man his underwear because obviously he is too stupid to figure out what I am trying to tell him".
Just at that moment, a little girl walked into the room and said, "Has anyone seen my pet crane, Whooping?". The man replied, "Oh, this must be him." So, the crane and the girl happily walk out of the doctor's office leaving the man with no clothes on except for his underwear standing in the middle of the doctor's office.
But, the name for the crane stuck and from then on all white long cranes were called "whooping cranes". The man, who was left with his underwear, still wants to get his clothes back and get revenge on the crane for the humiliation he experienced that day, so everyday he goes out searching for the right whooping crane so he can kill it, and get his clothes back. So, this is why whooping cranes are endangered- because man is always trying to get his clothes back from the cranes.
THE END