Kentucky wildlife officials say a small number of whooping cranes have shown up in the state. They said yesterday that wildlife biologists confirmed the presence of five of the birds in Hopkins County and received a report of a sixth bird in Barren County.
Whooping cranes are a federally endangered bird that may not be hunted.
Whooping cranes are similar in silhouette to sandhill cranes. However, sandhill cranes have gray bodies and are smaller than whooping cranes.
Kentucky's sandhill crane hunting season begins December 14 and continues through January 12, or until 400 birds are taken.