A whooping crane stretches its wings in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.
Be sure to catch the annual Whooping Crane Festival, which is held in February in Port Aransas on Mustang Island. The 2015 Festival is set for Feb. 19-22.
The tallest and rarest bird in North America, the whooping crane almost became extinct in the late 1930s. It is currently on the endangered species list.
The festival is dedicated to the appreciation and preservation of the elegant, long-legged birds that mate for life. Wintering at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, a protected area on the Gulf dedicated to migratory birds and other wildlife, all of the birds there today are descendants of the last 14 birds found in Texas in 1941.
Come hear expert speakers, take boat and bus tours for bird watching and attend workshops and a nature-related trade show. The festival also offers art, food and much more. So dust off those bird-watching binoculars and come whoop it up!
