AUSTWELL (February 5, 2012)--Officials at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge say only about two-thirds of the anticipated 300 whooping cranes have been accounted for at the South Texas winter home for the only self-sustaining flock of North America's tallest birds.
The refuge on the Texas Gulf Coast about 130 miles southwest of Houston has counted 193 birds this winter.
Another 16 are known to be wintering between the refuge and the flock's summer home in Canada.
The prolonged Texas drought has withered fresh water and food supplies for the birds, which can reach 5 feet in height.
Refuge manager Dan Alonso told The Victoria Advocate that more birds probably are in the area, but said they're harder to spot because their feeding area has been spread out due to the drought.
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