OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is asking residents, hunters and bird watchers to help document sightings of endangered whooping cranes as they migrate through the state this fall.

The cranes, which travel about 2,500 miles from nesting grounds in Canada to wintering sites along the Texas coast, typically begin appearing in Oklahoma in late October. They often stop for several days in wetlands or grain fields to rest and feed before continuing south.

With only about 557 birds in the remaining wild population, the species is still considered federally endangered. The department reminds sandhill crane hunters to stay alert, as whooping cranes can appear in hunting areas at any time during the season.

Whooping cranes stand nearly five feet tall and

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