Matt Mendenhall uncovers the silly antics of whooping cranes, from their strange “whooping” call to their captivating mating dance. He tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme how, as “goats” of the wetlands, whooping cranes will munch on whatever food is available. He also reveals how their large size, about 5 feet tall, lets them bully other creatures yet how one tiny creature, a common fly, annoys the bird so much that it drives these massive birds off their nests. Listen and learn what makes whooping cranes so special, how these endangered birds are making a comeback from a population of just 16 individuals in the 1940s, and what scientists are going through – from dressing up in whooping crane costumes to teaching the chicks their migration route by following ultralight planes -- to turn this story of near extinction of a species into one of hope and success. Matt Mendenhall is Associate Editor of Birder’s World magazine. He has written about all sorts of birds — from the common Northern Cardinal and Varied Thrush to the endangered Whooping Crane and California Condor to the presumably extinct Imperial Woodpecker. He grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and is a graduate of the journalism program at Marquette University. This episode of “The WildLife” aired on The Radiator, WOMM-LP, 105.9 FM in Burlington, Vermont on January 4, 2010.
The WildLife: Life of a Wildlife Special Agent, Sheila O'Connor
The WildLife: Ocellated Turkeys, Jon McRoberts
The WildLife: Financing Wildlife Conservation, Ray Victurine
The WildLife: Hawaii's Reef Fish & Aquarium Trade, Robert Wintner
The WildLife: Hawaii's Aquarium Trade, Rene Umberger
The WildLife: Bear Behavior & Emotions, Else Poulsen, Part II
The WildLife: A Zookeeper's Bear Adventures, Else Poulsen, Part I
The WildLife: Lorises, Anna Nekaris
The WildLife: Connections between Wildlife, Livestock and Human Health, Steve Osofsky
The WildLife: Geoduck Trade, Craig Welch
The WildLife: Wildlife Rescue Centers, Tracy O'Toole
The WildLife: Elephant Seals, Christine Heinrichs
The WildLife: Smithsonian's Feather Identification Lab, Marcy Heacker
The WildLife: Rhino Horn Trade, Rhishja Larson
The WildLife: Marine Aquarium Trade, Brian Tissot
The WildLife: Gorillas & Bushmeat Trade, Pierre Fidenci
The WildLife: Philippine Forest Turtle, Pierre Fidenci
The WildLife: Wildlife Forensics & Mammal Hair, Michael Gonzalez
The WildLife: Reef Sounds, Corals and Reef Fishes, Steve Simpson
The WildLife: Brazil's Illegal Bird Trade, Juliana Machado Ferreira
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