An endangered whooping crane named Ducky has died from avian influenza, according to officials at the International Crane Foundation.
The young crane, born in May, was part of the foundation’s breeding and release program.
Ducky was scheduled to be released into the wild later this fall.
Ducky is the first known whooping crane to die from this particular flu strain.
Currently, fewer than 700 whooping cranes remain in the wild across North America.
