Fort Smith (Dec 11/06) - The whooping cranes of Wood Buffalo National Park continue to set positive records this year.

An estimated 235 of the endangered birds survived the recent migration to Texas - an increase of 21 from the 214 which flew north in the spring.

The whooping cranes of Wood Buffalo National Park are reaching record numbers this year. - photo courtesy of Parks Canada

The latest number is the highest since counts began over 50 years ago at the Texas wildlife reserve where the birds spend the winter.

Forty-two chicks survived the migration to Texas.

"That is a record," said Stuart Macmillan, a Wood Buffalo biologist with Parks Canada.

The previous high was the 34 chicks which survived the migration in 2004.

Whooping cranes face hazards during migration, mainly from power towers and lines, and from hunters who sometimes mistake them for sandhill cranes.

Seventy-six chicks were counted in Wood Buffalo in June, Macmillan noted.

Over the past 30 years, almost half of the nests in the park produce a chick that makes it to Texas. This year, there were 62 nests.

In addition, six sets of twin chicks made it to Texas, another record.

The previous high was two sets of twins, which only happened once.

Macmillan said fluctuations in the flock's population appear to follow a 10-year cycle.

"We seem to be peaking on the upward side of the cycle," he noted.

Despite the positive numbers, Macmillan said the whooping crane is a long way from being "downlisted" from endangered to threatened. "We would want to have 1,000 individuals in the Wood Buffalo/Texas flock if the establishment of other migratory populations in the U.S. are not successful," he said.

The recent numbers are still encouraging, he said. "As long as it's going in the right direction."

Currently, there are an estimated 516 whooping cranes in all wild and captive populations throughout North America. In 1941, there were only 21 of the birds alive and only three breeding pairs, all in Wood Buffalo.