500,000 Cranes Are Headed for Nebraska in One of Earth’s Greatest Migrations

Nature got it right with the cranes. They have been around since the Eocene, which ended 34 million years ago. By Alex Shoumatoff (Smithsonian Magazine).

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/500000-cranes-are-headed-nebraska-one-earths-greatest-migrations-180949816/

Whooping crane dies of shooting injury

A whooping crane that initially survived a gunshot wound earlier this month was euthanized Wednesday after his condition worsened beyond recovery, according to the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

http://theadvocate.com/home/8422880-125/whooping-crane-dies-of-shooting

Mississippi Sandhill Crane Hit by Vehicle, Separated From Mate

After her mate was hit by a vehicle, a Mississippi sandhill crane stood by, watching helplessly as another pair of cranes attacked her long-term partner. By Lauren Walck (Sun Herald).

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/02/11/5331363/mississippi-sandhill-crane-hit.html

Decline in Sarus Cranes Worries Bird Watchers

On a day when many in the country are celebrating Big Bird Day (Sunday), bird watchers in Bhopal are worried about rapid decline in population of Sarus crane. By Pallavi Nair (The Times of India).

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/decline-in-sarus-crane-population-leaves-bird-watches-worried-on-big-bird-day/articleshow/30490592.cms

Migratory Birds Going Hungry After Bird Flu Outbreak

50 migratory birds were gathered near the swamp. Once the reporters approached, they flew off. Approximately 20,000-30,000 migratory birds, included bean goose, spot-billed duck and rare white-naped crane, come to Janghang swamp every year. By Bang Jun-ho (The Hankyoreh).

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/623575.html

Wattled Crane Population Takes Flight

South Africans had a special reason to celebrate World Wetlands Day at the weekend – the critically endangered Wattled Crane population has finally stabilized, and numbers of this specialist wetland bird even increased slightly in KwaZulu-Natal. By John Yeld (Daily News).

http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/population-takes-flight-1.1641985#.UvpUo7Eo7ct

The Red-crowned Crane (documentary)

This 50 minute documentary looks at the lives of the endangered red-crowned cranes at two nature reserves in China, plus the difficulties the cranes face as they grow up, and the crisis facing the species.  (SBS On Demand).

http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/121632835645/The-Red-Crowned-Crane

Watch half a billion birds find peace in the Middle East

It's chilly and still dim at 6 a.m. when Haggai Hochman, a Galilean farmer, slides into his tractor and sets out on his dusty course. Thirty-two thousand cranes flap and flutter, parting to let him through. The blades turn, and kernels start to pop out of the spreader. By Noga Tarnopolsky (Global Post).

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/israel-and-palestine/140207/hula-valley-birds-noga

2 Endangered Whooping Cranes Shot in Louisiana

Someone shot a pair of endangered whooping cranes that had been building practice nests in southwest Louisiana, killing the female and seriously injuring the male, state wildlife officials said Friday. (CBS News, The Associated Press)

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/2-endangered-whooping-cranes-shot-in-louisiana/