whooping crane

American  

noun

1. a white North American crane, Grus americana, having a loud, whooping call: an endangered species.

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whooping crane British  

noun

1. a rare North American crane, Grus americana, having a white plumage with black wings and a red naked face

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Etymology

Origin of whooping crane

An Americanism dating back to 1720–30

Example Sentences

It’s not too late to save the whooping crane, the red-cockaded woodpecker, the piping plover or any of the other 86 birds on the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Without biological parents to care for the egg, surrogates — Tehya, a 16-year-old female whooping crane, and Goliath, a 25-year-old male — were chosen, zoo officials said.

From Washington Post • Jun. 17, 2022

Workers wear a special costume when interacting with whooping crane chicks.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Fourteen long-legged, fuzzy brown whooping crane chicks — one more than in 2019 — are following their parents or costumed surrogates in facilities from New Orleans to Calgary, Canada.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 14, 2021

We both gave respectful curtsies, though I couldn’t help but add a few bows at the same time, which might have given me the appearance of a whooping crane in courting season.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan