Adults have velvety white feathers except for the heads and parts of the wings and feet. The forehead, crown, and cheeks are bare except for sparse black hair-like feathers. The skin in these areas as warty or granulated, and reddish in color. The bill is a dull pink, changing to dull brownish in the middle and yellow on the tip. The feet are black with flesh-colored pads.

Juveniles have a mixture of white, buff, and brown feathers. They get the same coloring as adults in one year.

Two smooth, buff eggs with dark blotches are laid in late April or early May. Both parents share in the responsibility of sitting on the eggs. Parents and young leave the nest 2 to 3 days after hatching, and spend the summer going from pond to pond feeding. The family unit stays intact through the winter, but the young are gradually gaining more independence. Before the migration, the parents drive the young away, but they do not separate entirely until en route to the nesting grounds.

Its recovery is slow because of its low reproductive rate. Some animals also die on the biannual migration route. There is also the risk of hazardous materials being spilled onto its wintering grounds along the industrialized Texas Gulf Coast.

Efforts to aid the whooping crane have been tremendously helpful and have succeeded in increasing their total numbers in the wild. Many organizations and funds were created to help this rare bird, including the Whooping Crane Advisory Group and the Whooping Crane Conservation Association. Monitoring and activities such as posting warning signs, public education, population transplantation, and other protection programs have helped it make a comeback.