Rarest Bird In North America Spotted Along Texas Coast

The tallest, rarest birds in North America have been spotted along the Texas coast. KSAT reported that whooping cranes are returning to Texas for their annual migration.

The birds were seen for the first time this fall on October 21st on Matagorda Island. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife officials, most of the birds are expected to arrive in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge area in December.

The cranes are slowly making their way back from the brink of extinction, thanks in part to the help from the San Antonio Zoo. The San Antonio Zoo's efforts to bring back the whooping crane from extinction were featured in "Escape from Extinction," which is a conservation documentary narrated by Academy Award Winner Helen Mirren.

If you're interested in tracking the whooping cranes, you can check out reported sightings on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Whooper Watch. The Whooper Watch is a citizen-based reporting system that tracks whopping crane migration and wintering locations throughout Texas.