Louisiana's whooping crane program hits all-time fledgling recordBATON ROUGE — Louisiana's whooping crane program had its most successful nesting season yet with a record 10 chicks fledged in 2026. According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the whooping crane is one of the rarest birds on Earth and the rarest of the world's 15 crane species. The 10 fledglings — which are birds that have developed the feathers and muscles needed to fly — in 2026 are the most for any whooping crane reintroduction program ever, according to LDWF. One Louisiana whooping crane pair nested in 2025, LDWF said, but did not hatch a chick. The department also asks those who spot a whooping crane not to share its location any more specifically than on the parish level.