Whooping Crane Flock Takes Flight
BERLIN, Wis. - Seven whooping crane chicks took to the skies to begin their migration to Florida on the morning of October 10. After months of preparation and training, the chicks left White River Marsh State Wildlife Area and began their journey behind an ultralight plane. These efforts are led by Operation Migration, a Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership member.
"I'm excited the ultralight-led birds were able to take off and hope the good weather holds for them. We're all looking forward to following their first journey south," said Cathy Stepp, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "The DNR is proud to be a WCEP member and to be a part of the efforts to restore whooping cranes to eastern North America. This project really illustrates what can be accomplished when government agencies and non-profit organizations join forces to work together toward a common goal."
Every summer whooping crane chicks are conditioned to follow an ultralight aircraft. These chicks are initially raised and trained by costumed humans with the U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center before being brought to Wisconsin where they continue training. This technique repeatedly proves effective because of the birds' natural instinct to imprint on the first creature that nurtures it.
A second technique, the parent-reared release method, was also used again this year. These chicks are hatched and raised by their captive whooping crane parents at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. In late September, four of these whooping crane chicks began their integration into the wild at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin, says Davin Lopez, Whooping Crane Coordinator for the Wisconsin DNR.
Migration behind the ultralight planes can take anywhere from six to 16 weeks depending on weather conditions, Lopez says. The first migration is one of many critical life stages for the birds. People can follow this year's ultralight flock and stay connected with their journey through the Operation Migration Website [exit DNR]. For more updates on the other birds' progress, visit the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership website[exit DNR].
Since 1999, the Wisconsin DNR has played a major role in efforts to restore a migratory whooping crane population in eastern North America. The department is a founding member of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. The other founding members are the International Crane Foundation, Operation Migration, Inc., the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and National Wildlife Health Center, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin and the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team.
Numbering as few as 21 wild individuals in the 1940s and 1950s, whooping cranes were on the verge of extinction. Before the efforts to establish a flock in the eastern U.S. began, only one migratory population of whooping cranes existed, raising concerns that a catastrophic event could completely eliminate the species. Today, because of the Partnership's efforts, there are roughly 106 whooping cranes in the eastern migratory flock. In all there are now approximately 450 of these birds in the wild including two reintroduced non-migratory flocks in Florida and Louisiana.
October 30 online chat set for discussing whooping cranes
People with more questions about whooping cranes can join the DNR and other WCEP partners for a live, online chat at noon on October 30. Partners participating in the online chat include staff from the International Crane Foundation and Operation Migration.
To participate, visit the DNR home page, dnr.wi.gov, and search the phrase "ask the experts." Or join the conversation on DNR's Facebook page, www.facebook.com/WIDNR, by clicking the "Cover it Live Chat" box on the top of the page.