Right now, at the Big Salt Marsh at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, there are over a half dozen whooping cranes. This is a big deal! They have been spotted there over the last couple of weeks in varying numbers.
In the early 1940s, there were only 15 surviving birds. Now there are a couple hundred, and they’re still critically endangered and one of the rarest birds around. They’re nearly all white with black wing tips and a red patch on their head. Whoopers (as they’re known by many in the birding community) are the largest birds in North America – on average they stand 5 feet tall.
Their presence at the salt marsh at Quivira helps demonstrate the value of the area to wildlife . Have you seen them?
Whooping cranes. Photo from QNWR Facebook
Kansas Trail Guide 
Thank you for this post! I had no idea there are so few Whooping Cranes left in the world, they are elegant and beautiful but more importantly, they are endangered and we need to be aware of this and the need to treasure and protect them!