Whooping cranes are one of the most endangered birds in the world. Once abundant throughout the Great Plains, this species was almost wiped to extinction. Today, these birds are making a comeback thanks to dedicated conservation, but their story doesn’t end yet. With energy development, urban sprawl, habitat destruction, water quality and quantity issues, and climate change, we ask the question…Can whooping cranes survive in a 21st-century world?
Dive into the perilous migratory journey one whooping crane, 15J, follows in the new article “Going the Distances” in the April 2024 issue of National Geographic. Written by Rene Ebersole and with photos by Mike Forsberg, this story is one you don't want to miss.
This feature in National Geographic is only the beginning for these birds. Mike Forsberg has been working for the past five years on a whooping crane project that will soon become a book. The project's purpose is to honor these birds by showcasing their natural history and beauty, elevating the conservation stories, and to make you feel something, anything, in the hope of keeping these birds around for generations to come.
Conservation Photography in the Great Plains
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