George Archibald

Region: Coastal prairie

Topics: Birds, Cranes, Habitat, Wetlands

 
Dr. Archibald is a well-known ornithologist and co-founder of the International Crane Foundation.  He is very familiar with the mating, migration, feeding, and other elements of the life history of the two cranes native to Texas, the whooping crane (the world's rarest crane), and the sandhill crane (the world's most common).  He and the Foundation are working on educating the public about cranes through tours and presentations (such as participation in the Port Aransas Whooping Crane Festival).  He is also engaged in direct efforts to protect the cranes.  With regard to the whooping crane, Dr. Archibald has assisted in experimenting with an Idaho summer population, and in establishing a new eastern migratory route and Florida winter population, to supplement the sole over-wintering site in south Texas.  For the sandhill crane, he has collaborated with farmers in the Midwest on methods of protecting their corn crops from crane depredation.  With all cranes, he and his organization have been active in protecting crane habitats, and in developing new methods of captive breeding to restore these birds to robust populations.