#Aransas Wildlife Refuge

[asterwild]

Whooping crane (Grus americana), a large crane species native to North America. Populations decreased after European settlement due to hunting and habitat loss, and in 1941 there were only 15 adults remaining in the wild. Thanks to decades of conservation work there are now over 500 in the wild and additional birds in captivity. You can read more about them from the USFWS here.

#id in alt #birds #whooping crane #endangered species #illustration #animal art #the best place to see them in winter is apparently aransas national wildlife refuge in texas #i was hoping to see a couple at wheeler nwr in north al -- there's usually a few & one had been spotted the day i was there #but i couldn't see any among the masses of sandhill cranes (which are also extremely cool! thrilled to see thousands of them and glad #that thousands of them exist)

[herpsandbirds]

Whooping Crane (Grus americana), family Gruidae, order Gruiformes, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, TX, USA

ENDANGERED.

At one point, there were only about 15-20 wild adults (due mainly to overhunting). Conservation efforts have helped them recover to a population of somewhere over 800 adult birds.

photograph by Mike Croyle

#crane #gruidae #gruiformes #grus #wading bird #north america #animals #nature #bird #ornithology

[typhlonectes]

Green-striped Grasshopper (Chortophaga viridifasciata) with erythrism at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, USA.

Photograph by Laura Bonneau | USFWS

#grasshopper #orthoptera #insect #nature #Texas #north america #animals

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this press release from the Department of the Interior:

The Department of the Interior today announced the expansion of four existing national wildlife refuges, which will allow for the voluntary conservation of up to 1.13 million acres of wildlife habitat in New Mexico, North Carolina and Texas.

Investing in and expanding the National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, furthers the Biden-Harris administration’s work to support community-driven efforts to conserve and restore the nation’s lands and waters through the America the Beautiful initiative. Under Secretary Haaland’s leadership, the Department has also established four new Refuges that will help conserve important fish and wildlife habitat, support working lands, and expand opportunities for outdoor recreation. 

The new expansion areas include: 

Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge (NC) may now conserve up to 287,000 acres of floodplain habitat along a 137-mile stretch of the Roanoke River from Weldon to the Albemarle Sound, to support rare and at-risk species like the Atlantic sturgeon, cerulean and Swainson's warbers, bald eagles and migratory waterfowl. The refuge was established in 1991 to protect the forests in the Roanoke River floodplain, considered to be the largest intact, and least disturbed, bottomland forest ecosystem remaining in the mid-Atlantic region. 

Aransas and Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuges (TX) may now conserve up to 150,000 additional acres of habitat in the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes ecoregion of Texas to support whooping crane, Eastern black rail, Attwater's prairie chicken, mottled duck and other wintering waterfowl. Established in 1937, Aransas NWR serves as a refuge and breeding ground and for migratory birds and other wildlife and is best known as the wintering home of the last wild flock of endangered whooping cranes. Establishing in 1983 and designated an Internationally Significant Shorebird Site by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, Big Boggy NWR is a stronghold for the threatened eastern black rail and provides seasonal and year-round habitat for large populations of waterfowl, wading birds, waterbirds, and shorebirds. 

Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge (NM and TX) may now conserve up to 700,000 acres of habitat in the Southern High Plains along the Texas-New Mexico border to support sandhill crane, pronghorn and lesser prairie chicken, as well as a full suite of other wildlife that rely on the grasslands, playa wetlands and saline lake habitats of the Central Grasslands. Established in 1935, the refuge is the oldest national wildlife refuge in Texas and is best known for hosting one of the largest concentrations of lesser sandhill cranes in North America.

The four final Land Protection Plans for these expansions were developed through public processes and informed by input from local landowners, Tribal leaders, state wildlife agencies, and other stakeholders. The Plans outline land protection priorities for these refuges that will inform the Service’s interest in acquiring parcels from landowners who are willing to sell property (fee-title) or property rights (conservation easements or cooperative agreements) through purchase or donation. 

#wildlife refuges

[tracesoftexas]

The Arcane Texas Fact of the Day:

Oh, yes … it is entirely true that the adult whooping cranes currently wintering down in the Aransas National Wildlife refuge can reach 5'3" tall, making the whooping crane the fifth-largest extant species of crane in the world. Whooping cranes are also the tallest bird native to North America and are anywhere from the third to the fifth heaviest species on the continent, depending on which figures are used. Their wingspans, at least typically, are from 6 feet, seven inches to seven feet, seven inches. Males weigh on average about 16 .lbs and females about 14 .lbs. They are believe to live 22-24 years. Since this photo of two adults and one immature whooping crane was taken in 2012, chances are good that these birds are still alive and … whooping.

Photo taken by the USDA.

[dasmuggler]

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TEXAS

1. Beaumont to El Paso : 742 miles

2. Beaumont to Chicago : 770 miles

3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas

4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos , July 4, 1883.

5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water. Destroyed by Hurricane Ike

2008!

6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston.

7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America

8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America 's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.

10. The worst natural disaster in U.S.... history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane, in which over 8,000 lives were

lost on Galveston Island.

11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20,1969, was " HOUSTON ," but the space center was actually in

Clear Lake City at the time.

12. King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.

13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43' in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.

14. Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union ) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the U.S. Flag, and may divide into 5 states.

15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.

16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.

18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington -on- the Brazos, Harrisburg , Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia and Austin.

19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington DC (by 7 feet).

20. The San Jacinto Monument is the tallest free standing monument in the world and it is taller than the Washington monument.

21. The name ' Texas ' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish

for Texas.

22. The State Mascot is the Armadillo (an interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.)

23. The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston

[stumbleimg]

the shade of Oak Sanctuary, Aransas Wildlife Refuge Texas- [3048 × 3840] [OC]

#inline reddit: EarthPorn #Photography #Art #EarthPorn #Reddit #Imgur

[tomlandry7]

aransas national wildlife refuge

[americasgreatoutdoors]

A heavy rain at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, led to a "snappy" encounter for both the @usfws videographer and a poor frog...mostly for the frog.  

The refuge is largely known for their extremely rare whooping crane inhabitants, more than they are for their alligators. Watching a gator take a walk across the road and then eat a frog snack is probably pretty rare too, but refuge employee Jonny Giles was lucky enough to capture the moment on their phone and from a safe distance inside their vehicle.

Video of American alligator crossing in front of the refuge entrance sign by Jonny Giles/USFWS

Video description: A large alligator walks across a flooded road in front of a car. It lays on the ground and then turns when something catches its eye. A small frog is seen slowly moving in the water away from the alligator. The alligator walks towards the frog, moves its snout sideways and grabs the frog in it’s mouth. It chomps down on the frog and swallows it.

#usinterior #texas #aransas #wildlife refuge #usfws #alligator #wildlife #frogger

[sitting-on-me-bum]

2020 Audubon Photography Awards

Category: Amateur

Photographer: Heather Roskelley

Species: Whooping Crane

Location: Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Austwell, TX

#heather roskelley #photographer #2020 audubon photography awards #bird photography #whooping crane #crane #aransas national wildlife refuge #austwell #texas #nature

[interpretingtexas]

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge was founded in 1937 to preserve habitat for migrating birds, particularly the critically endangered Whooping Crane. In 1938, there were only 15 birds. Today, thanks largely to the conservation efforts at the refuge, there are over 600 Whooping Cranes. The Aransas NWR covers over 100,000 acres of coastal marsh between Port Lavaca and Rockport, Texas, and includes much of the Blackjack peninsula and Matagorda Island. Today, the refuge serves as a rest stop for a number of migratory birds, nesting grounds for Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles, and the year-round home for shorebirds, alligators, , armadillos, and other small reptiles and mammals. Birders flock to the refuge, especially in the winter, trying to catch a glimpse of the Whooping Cranes.

The Aransas NWR was hit almost directly by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 and is still recovering, though it has re-opened for visitors.

Image Credits Under Cut

Whooping Cranes, By Klaus Nigge of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters - Whooping cranes at Aransas NWR, Uploaded by Snowmanradio, CC BY 2.0

Aransas NWR Sign, By U.S. Department of Agriculture - 20111216-NRCS-LSC-0003, Public Domain

Pelican Release, By U.S. Department of the Interior - June 23, 2010 Largest Bird Release to Date at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, CC BY-SA 2.0

Observation Deck, By Hillebrand Steve, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - http://digitalmedia.fws.gov/cdm/singleitem/collection/natdiglib/id/9592/rec/1, Public Domain 

Maintenance Shed Destruction, Aransas NWR Facebook

Debris Field, Aransas NWR Facebook

#aransas national wildlife refuge #aransas #aransas nwr #national wildlife refuge #hurricane harvey #whooping crane #pelican #observation #marsh #conservation #bird migration #alligators #endangered species #endangered #shore birds #nature #hiking #fishing #birding #bird watching

[bookloversofbath]

The Whooping Crane: The Bird That Defies Extinction (Faith McNulty)

The Whooping Crane: The Bird That Defies Extinction (Faith McNulty)

The Whooping Crane: The Bird That Defies Extinction (Faith McNulty) lands on the shelves of my shop.

London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1967, (First Edition) Hardback in dust wrapper.

Contains: Black & white photographs; Graphs; Black & white drawings; Maps; Tables;

From the cover: With its tapered, shining white body, its long black legs and sinuous neck, the whooping crane has a dignity that fills…

View On WordPress

#aransas national wildlife refuge #arctic birds #birds #birds conservation #books written by faith mcnulty #canadas northwest territories #first edition books #gruidae americana #gruiformes #north american arctic gruiformes #ornithological mysteries #robert allen #whooping crane nesting grounds #wood bujsalo park #yucatan #zoology

[dianaashworth]

When is a Pig not a Pig?

When is a Pig not a Pig? What to do with 6 million pigs!

When it’s a Peccary (or a Javelina)!

Collared Peccary or Javelina (Pecari tajacu)

This musk scented, short sighted creature potters around the thorn scrub of Southern Texas, alone or in small groups looking for its favourite prickly pears and snoozing under the live oak trees which are festooned with Spanish moss. It looks a bit like a wild boar but do not be deceived, reflect: “it did not…

View On WordPress

#Aransas National Wildlife Refuge #Javelina #Naturetrek #Peccary #Pig culls #Razorback hog #wild boar #wild pig

[wilkpreriowy]

Southeastern coyote (Canis latrans frustor) Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, USA

© Bob Symes

#prairie wolf #coyote #southeastern coyote #This is the subspecies of coyote that lives in my area! :) #photography

[dasmuggler]

Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas:

1. Port Arthur to El Paso : 889 miles. Port Arthur to Chicago: 770 miles

2. Brownsville to Texline (north of Amarillo): 956 miles. Texline to Canada: 960 miles

3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas

4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos, Tx July 4, 1883.

5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water. Destroyed by Hurricane Ike - 2008!

6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston, Texas .

7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.

8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America 's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.

10. The worst natural disaster in US history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was " Houston ," but the Space Center was actually in Clear Lake City at the time.

12. The King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.

13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a US rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.

14. Texas is the only state to enter the US by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union ) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the US Flag, and Texas may choose to divide into 5 states.

15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.

16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.

18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington-on-the Brazos, Harrisburg , Galveston , Velasco, West Columbia and Austin .

19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the US which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington , DC (by 7 feet).

20. The San Jacinto Monument is the tallest free standing monument in the world and it is taller than the Washington Monument .

21. The name ' Texas ' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning "friends". Tejas is NOT Spanish for Texas .

22. The State Mascot is the Armadillo. An interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.

23. The first domed stadium in the US was the Astrodome in Houston.

24. The Beck family ranch land grant is one days ride by horse (25 miles) in each direction from the headquarters.

25. The name of the XIT ranch in Dalhart Texas stands for "ten in texas". That means 10 counties in Texas!

[klemannlee]

My Christmas present to myself. Took a charter boat tour of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge to get a close up view of my favorite endangered species. 

Whooping Cranes - Aransas National Wildlife Refuge - Texas

Merry Christmas All ! 

#Photographers on tumblr #original photographers #birds #animals #Texas #wildlife #nature #endangered species #whoopingcranes #Merry Christmas