2019 Bird Portrait Contest finalists

Photographer: Cissy Beasley

Location and date: Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, January 19, 2015

On a chilly January morning, we set out by boat to find and photograph precious, endangered Whooping Cranes, a species which was rendered nearly extinct in the early 1900s. Fortunately, the Whooping Crane population is slowly making a comeback, due to a concerted effort to preserve the species and its habitat.

One colony of Whooping Cranes makes an annual trek from Canada to the middle Texas coast, an arduous journey of over 2,000 miles. During their winters here, the cranes consume blue crabs, as well as reptiles, small mammals, berries, roots, and other myriad foodstuffs.

The morning of my photograph, the sun was just peeking over the horizon, illuminating the calm water with golden light. A young Whooping Crane, or "colt," had stepped away from its parent and, with its back to me, turned to make sure mother or father was still nearby. Every colt is an important harbinger of promise and hope that the Whooping Crane species will continue to expand and flourish.

Gear and settings: Nikon D810; Nikon 300mm f/2.8 with 1.4x teleconverter; Manfrotto tripod and Jobu Jr. gimbal head.