Mapping the Epic Journey of the World’s Rarest Crane

Over five years, photographer and writer Mike Forsberg, working alongside researchers, documented the lives of this last wild population of Whooping Cranes. In the spring of 2022, he followed the birds on their migration.

This six-minute animation tracks that migration through the narrative of one family’s remarkable and poignant journey north, through the heart of the continent. For 37 days and 2,500 mile, they navigated a series of obstacles, finding food and resting along the way in a patchwork of critical wetland and grassland habitats.

Produced by the Center for Conservation Media, in partnership with Mike Forsberg, the members of the Whooping Crane Tracking Partnership in the US and Canada, and Platte Basin Timelapse. Animation created by 422 South.