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Iowa DNR Non-Game Support Certificate 
(Resolution was reduced here to achieve faster downloading of the image, actual resolution of the certificate is much much better).
The critically endangered Whooping Crane featured in the 2007 Nongame Support Certificate
was photographed by DNR Wildlife Biologist Greg Hanson. This bird was one of five that
spent most of May, 2006, in north central Iowa before moving on to Wisconsin. Three of
those five birds returned to northern Iowa again in the fall of 2006. Each bird carries
a radio transmitter and multiple identifying leg bands, as seen in the photo. They are
part of an effort to re-establish wild nesting Whooping Cranes in Wisconsin, with wintering
grounds in Florida. DNR biologists are excited by the possibility these extremely rare
creatures (fewer than 300 in the world) might be establishing a migratory pattern through
Iowa. It's even possible that we might someday see them take up nesting again in northern
Iowa, which more than a century ago was at the heart of North America's crane habitat.
If you happen to see a Whooping Crane in Iowa, please take caution to stay at least
one-quarter mile away, to help protect this rare species.
Ordering information
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