Fort Smith (Jul 03/06) - The endangered whooping crane is setting all kinds of records this year.

A June survey of the birds' nesting grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) found 76 chicks, including 24 sets of twins, in 62 nests.

The previous records were 66 chicks hatched from 61 nests in 2003.

In 2005, there were 58 nests containing 62 chicks, including 14 sets of twins. An earlier count on the whoopers' wintering grounds at a Texas wildlife refuge found 220 birds in the flock.

Again, that was a record, beating the previous high by three. The count is held in Texas because the flock is concentrated in a relatively small area compared to WBNP.

Stuart Macmillan, a park biologist, says it is believed about 214 birds migrated North in the spring.

Macmillan says all the records are good news for the flock. "They're doing well," he says. "The population is increasing."

Macmillan says the numbers seem to follow a 10-year cycle. "Right now, we seem to be on an upswing."