The whooping crane is a rare creature, with its abnormally long legs, and distinct call. In North America, there are approximately 340 cranes living in the wild. And that number, despite numerous conservation efforts, seems to be dwindling. Photo Joel Sartore The whooping crane is a creature of habitat, and depends on a stable environment for food and nesting. The crane has made its permanent home in a National Park in Canada, known as the Whooping Crane Summer Range. During the winter, the whooping cranes migrate towards the Gulf coast near Texas, a fact which has many environmentalist worried considering the crane’s low population. In the Gulf of Mexico the oil spill is already affecting many of the local species, beaching hundreds of oil…