Crane Updates
December 21, 2009
The Natural Resources Foundation has decided to suspend our updates of the whooping crane project. If you would like to receive monthly project updates directly to your email address, please send a request for whooping crane updates to Barb Barzen at barbara.barzen@wisconsin.gov.
Updates on the whooping crane project can be found at websites of other organizations involved in the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership:
International Crane Foundation -- www.savingcranes.org
Operation Migration -- www.operationmigration.org
WCEP website -- www.bringbackthecranes.org
The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin remains committed to supporting the whooping crane re-introduction project.
December 10, 2009
Yesterday, the International Crane Foundation issued the following press release regarding the death of female 17-02.
Investigation of Shooting of #17-02
Wildlife law enforcement agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources are investigating the shooting of Whooping Crane #17-02, near the town of Cayuga in central Vermillion County, Indiana.
The crane was shot sometime between Saturday, Nov. 28, when it was observed by Eva Szyszkoski, ICF Tracking Field Manager, and Tuesday, Dec. 1, when ICF tracking intern Jess Thompson found the carcass along West County Road 310 North, just west of North County Road 225 West.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources conservation officers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents are conducting a joint investigation into the incident. ICF is supporting both agencies in their investigation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a minimum reward of $2,500 to the person or people who provide information leading to a conviction.
Anyone with information should call the Indiana Department of Natural Resources 24-hour hotline at: 1-800 TIP IDNR (800-847-4367), or the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at 317-346-7016. Callers can remain anonymous.
December 3, 2009
Yesterday, we received the very sad news that female 17-02, of the Royal Family pair, was found dead in Indiana on Tuesday. International Crane Foundation staff conducted tracking flights in the area, found her radio signal but could not see her from the air, then discovered the carcass when they checked from the ground. Her mate was several miles away. The cause of death is unknown. 17-02 laid eggs at Necedah for the past five years and hatched three chicks, one of which (W1-06) is now paired and attempted to nest this past spring. She will be sorely missed.
December 2, 2009
About half of the whooping cranes in the core central Wisconsin area left on migration during the past ten days. As of November 30, the Eastern Migratory Flock was scattered to the following locations: 25 in the core reintroduction area, 16 elsewhere in Wisconsin, 1 in Lower Michigan, 7 in Illinois, 16 in Indiana, 8 in Tennessee, 1 in Georgia, and 12 in unknown locations. A cold and blustery Thanksgiving Day prompted much of the movement out of Wisconsin.
Some interesting highlights of migration to date:
- Male 3-07 began migration on November 3 and was reported back on his former wintering ground in Lowndes County, Georgia on November 22.
- The three surviving 2008 DAR chicks that spent last winter in central Tennessee left their summering area in Columbia County on November 10 or 11, spent about 10 days in Peoria County, IL, and arrived on their former wintering area on November 27.
- The group of five we reported on that landed together in Winnebago County, IL is still at that site. A pair they left the Necedah refuge with on November 15 continued on to Indiana and landed to roost with two pairs and DAR 38-09 in Knox Co., Indiana on November 30. The two pairs and DAR 38-09 had left Necedah in a group of 13 whooping cranes on November 26 and split off from the other eight birds somewhere in Illinois and landed at the Knox Co. site on November 28. Two of the remaining eight birds were seen in Vigo Co., Indiana on November 28 and four made it to the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in eastern Tennessee on November 29.
- The pair that spent the last half of the summer in western Minnesota left Steele Co., MN some time after November 24 and were detected in McLean County, IL on November 30.
- Four birds that had not been observed since May or June showed up in the core reintroduction area in November.
- Ten of the eleven surviving members of the ultralight Class of 2008 are still in Wisconsin, seven of which remain in a group in Dodge Co. 29-08 migrated with two adult pairs and is in Winnebago Co., IL.
Eight of the ten 2009 Direct Autumn Release chicks remain at the Necedah refuge, occasionally flying a mile or so from the refuge to feed in recently harvested corn fields. DAR 42-09 remains separated from the group and spends much of her time with 9-05. As mentioned, DAR 38-09 migrated with adults on November 26.
Operation Migration is now in southcentral Illinois (Cumberland Co.). At one recent stopover site, the chicks were let out to exercise and they all decided to take off and keep moving south! After scrambling to get an ultralight in the air, a pilot caught up with the group and led them to the next stopover site. A tragic break-in at their storage hangar at Necedah plus more weather delays than they would like have given the OM crew a challenging couple of months. We wish them well as they continue south.
November 19, 2009
After a few whooping cranes trickled out of Wisconsin earlier this month, a small "wave" of migration occured on Sunday, November 15, when ten whoopers left the Necedah area for warmer climes. Two pairs and a single crane left in three groups, then somehow met up in the air and landed together at a 700+-acre preserve in Winnebago County. The single bird in this group is from the 2008 ultralight cohort. Locations for the other five that left that day have not been reported.
The group of three 2008 Direct Autumn Release birds that spent the summer in Columbia County began migration on November 10 or 11. They stopped in Stephenson County, IL, for a few days before moving on to Peoria County, IL, on November 15. On November 3, a six-year-old pair (13-03/18-03) left Necedah and flew to Greene County, Indiana, where they stayed for at least eight days.
Eight of the nine Direct Autumn Release chicks remain together in the area of their pen site, although they ocassionally split into two or three groups. They are almost always associating with various other whooping cranes, but seem most attracted to male 6-05 and female 13-07, who seem to be pairing up. DAR 42-09 (a female) remains separated from the group, spending her time feeding in cornfields south of the refuge with older whooping cranes and sandhill cranes. During the past week, she frequently associated with 9-05.
Since November 3, WCEP biologists have captured and replaced disfunctional radio transmitters on four adult whooping cranes.
Operation Migration is now on their 35th day of migration and have been grounded in La Salle County in northern Illinois for a few days due to rain and wrong-way winds. They were at this same site a year ago today.
November 4, 2009
Within four days of being released in various parts of the Necedah refuge on October 24, the nine Direct Autumn Release (DAR) chicks were all reunited at their pen site. By October 29, two of the chicks (36-09 and 42-09) separated from the group and began associating with five adult whooping cranes and many sandhill cranes in nearby farm fields. On November 1, the remaining group of seven DAR chicks flew in what biologists call "undirected flight" over Monroe and Juneau Counties and returned to the refuge by nightfall.
After getting off to a rough start, Operation Migration made quick progress from Stop #2 in Juneau County to Stop #4 in Dane County, their last stop before leaving Wisconsin. Their 20 chicks are now flying very well together.
The Crane Cam and Trike Cam have experienced some glitches during the past couple of days. We ask for your patience while those kinks get worked out.
With the release of the Direct Autumn Release chicks, the total maximum population of the Eastern Migratory Population of whooping cranes is now 86 birds (48 males and 38 females). As of October 31, there were 63 in the core reintroduction area, 15 at other locations in Wisconsin, 2 in Lower Michigan, 1 in Indiana, 2 in western Minnesota, 1 at an unknown location, and 2 have not been reported in 2009.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is currently conducting its annual survey of sandhill crane populations in the Eastern Flyway, which entails everywhere east of the Mississippi River. A substantial increase in numbers of sandhills are being reported in both Wisconsin and Michigan. Biologists from the International Crane Foundation have observed a handful of whooping cranes among the staging flocks of sandhills just south of the core reintroduction area.
October 28, 2009
The Operation Migration crew is running two weeks behind schedule, but they have now reached Stopover #2 in southern Juneau County. Two weeks of fowl weather prior to their target start date of October 10 made it difficult to combine the three cohorts of chicks and get them all to fly as one cohesive group. This is a critical step in the process. As previously reported, the crew made its first attempt to move the whole group from the refuge to Stopover #1 on October 16, with only five birds cooperating. Over the course of the next 10 days, more birds were flown there as weather allowed, and the last eight reluctant birds were transported there in crates a few days ago.
Luck finally came their way yesterday as a glorious, calm morning allowed them to fly to Stopover #2. Ten birds made the flight on their own, eight turned back and had to be crated and driven there, and one landed somewhere inbetween and was later rounded up and driven to Stopover #2. So they are all now in southern Juneau County awaiting the next leg to northern Sauk County.
On Saturday evening, October 24, the nine Direct Autumn Release chicks were released in three groups at different locations within the Necedah refuge. They were released near dusk near adult whooping cranes so the chicks would follow the adults to their nighttime roosting sites. One group was "soft released" at their pen site, meaning the crew shut down the pen and took in all artificial food sources, leaving the chicks to fend for themselves. We have received no further news, which is presumably good news.
The Crane Cam and Trike Cam are both active now. To watch the birds in flight, check the link to the Crane Cam between 7:00 - 8:00 a.m. every day through mid-December. Once on the ground, the camera will show the birds in their flight pen.
If you haven't become a Crane Club member yet this year, please do so by clicking the "Join the Crane Club" link on our home page. Your gift will help NRF provide $50,000 worth of project needs in 2010, including three internships, continued research on black fly disturbance to nesting cranes, tracking equipment, and more. Thank you!
October 19, 2009
It has been an eventful week in Wisconsin's whooper world, starting with the sad news that Operation Migration very reluctantly decided to euthanize chick #28-09 due to respiratory problems. One of the youngest of the group, he could barely fly to the end of the runway before landing and panting hard, so it was clear that he would not be able to migrate and would not do well in captivity. Neither time nor treatments seemed to help, unfortunately. The other 20 chicks in OM's care, however, are healthy and ready to head for Florida.
OM pilots made their first attempt to leave the refuge last Friday (Oct. 16). Chaos ensued and after the dust settled, five birds were at Stopover #1 and the rest were at three different sites within the Necedah refuge. Over the weekend, six more chicks were flown to Stopover #1, leaving nine at the refuge. Pilots hope all chicks will be together at the first stopover site, about five miles from the refuge, early this week.
OM announced that their Trike Cam will be up and running shortly, once migration is underway. This will allow viewers to get the pilot's-eye-view during flights, by clicking on the CraneCam link. NRF's website will continue to provide this link.
Meanwhile, the nine Direct Autumn Release (DAR) chicks are moving freely about and were seen visiting the ultralight chicks last week. DAR chicks were recently banded, with each bird getting an aluminum Fish & Wildlife Service band and four red, white, or green color bands, placed on the birds in unique combinations for identification purposes. Radio transmitters were also placed on a leg of each bird and four were fitted with satellite (PTT) transmitters on their other leg.
Once Operation Migration chicks have left the refuge, International Crane Foundation staff who manage the DAR pen site will close it down and stop feeding the birds. Two groups of DAR chicks will be transported to distant parts of the refuge and released near adult whooping cranes, and a third group will be "soft-released" at the pen site, where they will gradually assimilate into the nearby group of adult whoopers. They have already been associating with a resident pair. In the past, most chicks released elsewhere in the refuge have made their way back to their pen site, but this method gives them the message that they are now on their own.
As usual, we will post updates more frequently than usual during migration, to keep you promptly updated as the birds head south.
October 8, 2009 Part 2
The winds of October have shuffled Wisconsin’s whooping cranes a bit. One pair that summered in the Sandhill Wildlife Area, just north of the Necedah refuge, headed west to Waseca County in south-central Minnesota. They are about 100 miles east of where 3-07 is hanging out, in Lac Qui Parle County. Meanwhile, back at the Necedah refuge, pairs 5-01/1-05 and 16-03/DAR 42-07 separated. 16-03 and 1-05 are now paired, DAR 42-07 (female) is associating with DAR 27-06, and 5-01 moved to an area south of the refuge. Divorce and mate-switching have been well-documented in a population of sandhill cranes in Columbia County, which International Crane Foundation researchers have dubbed “Crane-ton Place”. Neighboring whooping cranes now seem to be showing similar behavior.
Other birds have changed locations, showing pre-migratory restlessness and gathering with the growing flocks of staging sandhill cranes.
Two birds were recently removed from the Eastern Migratory Population, one by death and another by injury. On October 1, the remains of 19-08 were found heavily scavenged in a farm field south of the Necedah refuge. Numerous coyote tracks were found near the carcass. This is the bird that had flown to North Dakota in May or June. At the Direct Autumn Release pensite, DAR 39-09 experienced a return of muscle problems in one of his legs. The problem was severe enough to remove him from the group. He was transferred to the Milwaukee Zoo on October 1, where he joins one other whooping crane that was sent there from Necedah last year. This brings the population to 77 adults and yearlings plus 30 chicks.
The Direct Autumn Release program includes 9 of the chicks. Within the next week or two, the DAR pen site will be shut down, leaving the birds to fend for themselves and integrate into the adult whooping crane flock in preparation for migrating. All involved hope it will go as smoothly as last year.
Operation Migration aims to start migration with its 21 charges on October 10. A crew of 16 pilots, ground crew, and outreach specialists will escort the birds south along the same 1,285-mile route they took last year, dropping half of the birds at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and the other half at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, both of which are on the Gulf coast. This year, the CraneCam will allow followers of this project to view their daily activities through their computer screen. See a link to the CraneCam on NRF’s home page.
The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership held their annual fall meeting in late September. Research results from the breeding season were discussed and, while not conclusive, much of the evidence points to black flies as the primary reason for some of the nest abandonments. Research on black flies will continue in 2010, and biologists hope to experiment with black fly removal in some areas of the refuge. All other aspects of the project will remain the same.
October 8, 2009
Tom Stehn, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the Whooping Crane Coordinator at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, and also co-chairs the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team. Tom recently distributed a summary report on North America’s three populations of whooping cranes; the Aransas/Wood Buffalo population, the Florida non-migratory population, and the Eastern Migratory population.
The year 2009 was a struggle for the Whooping crane that remains very endangered. A record 270 Whooping cranes had arrived at Aransas in the fall of 2008, but they faced harsh conditions from the ongoing drought. Their favorite foods of blue crab and wolfberry were in short supply due to the salty conditions in the marsh. A record 23 Whooping cranes, or 8.5% of the flock, didn't make it through the winter, with some of the cranes found to be emaciated.
In the past 20 years, the 2008-2009 winter ranks as the worst in terms of mortality. These were the worst conditions I have ever observed for the cranes at Aransas, with some birds looking thin and with disheveled plumage. The Service, for the first time in over 40 years, dispersed corn from game feeders to try to give the flock a boost of energy and pull them through the hard times. Only 247 Whooping cranes made it through the winter.
Upon returning to north to nest, the survivors found that habitat conditions looked great, with lots of water on the cranes’ nesting grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada’s Northwest Territories. However, only 22 chicks fledged from 62 nests, a below average production year. Perhaps the weakened condition of the birds from the previous winter had taken its toll.
With the drought continuing in south Texas into the fall of 2009, wildlife officials are leery of what conditions for the flock will be like at Aransas in the 2009-2010 winter. Water holes were re-conditioned on the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge to ensure the cranes will have fresh water if the marshes remain above the threshold salinity of 23 parts per thousand when Whooping cranes must find fresh water to drink.
Threats faced by the Whooping crane flock are growing. In addition to ongoing sea level rise that would make the marshes too deep for the cranes to use, decreased inflows from the Guadalupe River due to water withdrawals for human uses threaten to reduce bay productivity and negatively impact blue crabs, the main food of Whooping cranes. Housing developments are springing up next to marshes where wintering cranes have foraged in the past, and wildlife officials are questioning whether the Whooping crane flock will have enough room to expand to reach recovery targets.
In the migration corridor, the cranes are facing a proliferation of wind farms and associated power lines. Collisions with power lines are the number one cause of mortality for fledged Whooping cranes, and the miles of lines continues to grow substantially.
The Whooping cranes spend every winter at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and nearby marshes, with the first birds arriving starting in mid-October and staying through mid-April. Twice a year they complete a 2,500-mile migration to and from their nesting grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories of Canada.
In North America, the total number of Whooping cranes in both the wild (384) and in captivity (152) has reached 536. Young Whooping cranes bred in captivity are being reintroduced in the wild in two flocks in the eastern U.S.
In the fall of 2001, in a historic return to their former range, eight Whooping cranes were flown behind Operation Migration’s ultralight aircraft between Wisconsin and Florida. Five of the cranes survived the winter and started the migration back north on their own in April 2002.
Additional birds were reintroduced in the next eight years, with 78 Whooping cranes now migrating in the eastern U.S. However, the birds are struggling to hatch young with the adults abandoning their nests just prior to hatching the eggs due to swarms of black flies bothering the adults. Officials are planning to experiment with controlling black flies, and/or may look to find suitable habitat free from the pests.
The second wild flock consists of 29 remaining non-migratory Whooping cranes in central Florida. That reintroduction effort has been abandoned as the cranes struggled with poor rates of reproduction and low survival, mostly tied to recurring drought.
The path to recovery for Whooping cranes remains rocky. It will take increasing vigilance by man if this species is to survive and provide a thrill for your great-great grand children to see, just as they provide enjoyment for Texans and the thousands of visitors from around the world who annually visit Rockport to see this magnificent species.
Current population numbers are as follows:
Adults Chicks
Aransas/Wood Buffalo 247 ( 22--not officially counted until they arrive in Texas)
Florida 28 1
Wisconsin/Florida 77 30
Wild population 352 31 383 total
Captive population 148 4 152 total at 11 facilities
Total population 500 35 535
September 16, 2009
The Direct Autumn Release crew reports that the chick that injured its leg had started to heal nicely, but then re-injured its leg while being chased by the female of the territorial pair near the pen site. He is now on "pen rest" and the swelling is going down. The sad decision was made to remove #39-09 from the DAR program and transfer him to a captive center in North Carolina later this month.
This leaves nine birds in the Direct Autumn Release program, all of which are doing well. Eight are flying and the youngest, now 75 days old, is just about there.
Operation Migration has set a tentative target date for leaving on migration -- October 10. The 22 chicks in their charge are strong and healthy and flying well.
NRF recently contributed to the purchase and installation of Operation Migration's online Crane Cam. You will soon be able to access the Crane Cam through NRF's website. You will be able to watch the early morning training flights every day, view pen site happenings all day, and once migration begins you will be able to watch the action at their traveling pen sites. We will post the Crane Cam on our front page when it is ready for viewing.
The Necedah Crane Festival is coming up this Saturday, September 19. The public is invited to enjoy morning ultra-light flyovers, presentations all day, refuge tours, and a chance to visit with project personnel.
The Festival will be followed by three days of meetings among project partners. Discussion topics will include findings from last spring's various research projects related to the nest abandonment problem and how those results will impact future plans for the project. Stay tuned!
September 4, 2009
All chicks are growing stronger by the day now, and most of them are flying well. Only a handful of Operation Migration's 22 chicks and three of the ten Direct Autumn Release chicks have not taken to the air yet.
A sad incident occurred this past Monday (Aug. 31) when one of Operation Migration's chicks landed in front of the ultra-light trike when they concluded their training flight. The pilot veered to avoid hitting the bird, but the trike slid in the wet grass and was unable to avoid a collision. The chick was taken to the International Crane Foundation where veterinarian Barry Hartup set its legs in splints, but the bird died before coming out of anesthesia. While this is a tragic loss, Operation Migration director Joe Duff points out that the overall survival rate of ultralight-trained chicks far surpasses that of wild whooping crane chicks. All other "OM" chicks are doing very well.
The Direct Autumn Release chicks are now showing off their new flying skills to the nearby adult pair, 11-02 & 17-02. The adults are not amused by this, but so far they have shown their displeasure in harmless ways, fortunately. One chick in this group injured its leg a week ago, and WCEP staff are in the wait-and-see mode as to whether he will be released or not. They will conduct pre-release health checks on all of the chicks in two weeks. In early October, they will release the chicks by shutting down the pen site and possibly transporting the chicks to various parts of the refuge to encourage them to interact with adult whooping cranes as soon as possible.
One wayward adult (27-07) that was last reported on May 25, in Winnebago County, was observed in Marshall County, Indiana on August 19. A small number of other adults have not been seen since June, and two have been missing for a longer period of time.
A survey of the Wood Buffalo/Aransas whooping crane population was recently conducted and only 22 chicks were observed. This is substantially lower than normal. Biologists are guessing the cold, wet June and high water levels contributed to chick mortality early on. Between the low number of chicks and the death of several adults last winter, this population will suffer a decline this year.
NRF conducted three days of field trips at the Necedah refuge last week for 24 Crane Club members. It was a remarkable experience, as always. Anyone and everyone is invited to see these cranes and watch training flights at Necedah's Crane Festival on Saturday, September 19.
August 25, 2009
Not much has changed among the wild whooping crane population here in Wisconsin. Everyone seems to be hunkered down in their summer territories, staying close to home. Of the 78 birds in this population, 58 are in the core central area (45 on the Necedah refuge), 15 are in other locations in the state, 2 are in Lower Michigan, 1 is in Indiana, and 2 have not been seen in awhile.
Even the yearlings have stopped wandering. They have been reported in the following counties: Dodge (9), Lincoln (1), Monroe (2), and Columbia (3 DAR birds).
As for the Class of 2009, Operation Migration continues to work with three groups of chicks, doing early morning flight training at each site. International Crane Foundation staff are raising 10 chicks for Direct Autumn Release and one of these chicks is now strong enough to fly over the pen fence to explore the surrounding area. She doesn't go far, however. The other chicks are being kept under close supervision until staff is confident that all fence holes have been mended and all mammals have been removed from the pen. By the end of this week, they should be more free to roam within and outside of the pen, with costumed staff watching from nearby. When adults fly into the pen, the costume will supervise interactions so chicks are not injured. When chicks fly out of the pen, costumes will most often try to get them back.
The "big picture" project evaluation, supported in large part by NRF, is well underway and partners seem pleased with the process. The team of experts that has been assembled for this task will present their findings and recommendations by year-end. With new and improved logistics and strategies, plus results of last spring's research projects in hand, 2010 promises to be a very interesting and exciting year for this project.
August 12, 2009
Most whooping cranes are still staying put on their summer territories. Twelve of the population's 78 birds (47 males & 31 females) have not been seen in recent weeks and 59 are known to be in the core reintroduction area in central Wisconsin.
The International Crane Foundation reports that one of the 11 Direct Autumn Release chicks was killed by a predator, but the remaining ten chicks are doing well. The youngest DAR chick hatched on July 3.
August 5, 2009
The International Crane Foundation's Marianne Wellington, who is in charge of the Direct Autumn Release (DAR) program, sent us this update on the eleven chicks that are in her charge at the Necedah refuge:
The eleven potential DAR candidates are doing well in the marsh. Within the last week we have seen them become more confident in walking through the deeper water areas in their pens, as well as in the new areas we have explored outside of their pens.
Currently we are exercising chicks in three different groups. The two oldest chicks, 32 & 33-09, are getting close to fledging and are three weeks older than the next chick. They are exercised on their own so we can encourage flying. The next group of chicks consists of five birds, four females and one male. The male is the youngest of this group but he holds his own against the older females. This group of five birds have been housed in the night pen (a predator resistant, top-netted pen in the marsh) since July 28. 34-09 has some leg issues but we keep encouraging her to walk in the deeper water as much as possible to strengthen her legs. She is one of two birds who frequently stand when resting, preening her feathers and tucking one leg up. The group of five and the two older chicks see each other whenever the costume isn't working with the groups. This will eventually help with their socialization, but that won't occur for quite awhile yet.
Our youngest four chicks are still housed in the chick house at night, but spend most of the day away from the building. Last week I divided the night pen again so it now has three areas. the south half is where 32 & 33-09 are housed. The north half was divided so there is now a middle area where the five chicks are housed and a new smaller north pen where 39, 40, 41 &42-09 spend part of the day.
I've asked the interns (supported by NRF) to write a short paragraph about an experience or an observation of the chicks since we moved to Necedah. Here are their writings:
Kate Wyman: Large floating mats of grasses grow along the western edge of the night pen here at Necedah. A few days ago, I took our two oldest chicks out to the mats for their evening exercise. When the first chick stepped onto the edge of the mat, her surprise was evident as she jogged in place to keep from sinking while the mat slowly folded under her. Both chicks soon learned to stay in the center of the mat where they wouldn’t sink, though they never became graceful about walking on the unsteady surface.
Katie Farrell: It’s amazing how quickly the chicks are growing and learning new things. After just a few weeks here at Necedah, the birds are becoming more independent and comfortable in their new surroundings. 37-09 in particular likes to go her own way, and 40-09 is an independent one, too. 36-09 always wants to be in our favor, and will follow us anywhere for a few pellet treats or a grape. The adult birds (11 & 17-02) keep us on our toes, but it’s great that the chicks can see real cranes. I always wonder what the chicks think about their mothers trying to fly with just one wing (since our other arm is the crane puppet head). Hopefully, they’ll have better luck getting off the ground than we do!
Julie Longenecker: It’s really neat to watch the chicks grow and see their natural instincts to act like cranes even though they aren’t being raised by real cranes. One day I was out in the Night Pen (protected pen with flight netting on top) with five of the chicks and I could see a rain storm rolling in. It didn’t look like it would last long, so I decided to stay out there with them. It got very windy, and the chicks, who had been lying down, all stood up and turned to face into the wind. They didn’t get scared or anything. They simply stood there and faced the storm. I assume they did that so their feathers wouldn’t be blown backwards, but I would have never thought to face the storm myself. Obviously the chicks are able to grow up normally, even if everything we costumes do isn’t always completely crane-like.
July 31, 2009
The Direct Autumn Release chicks are settling in to their new enclosure, which includes a wetland area. Only the two oldest birds, now 7 weeks old, have full run of the pen so far. The other nine chicks are still being socialized in small groups and are being housed in a chick building for a period of time before being moved to the marsh enclosure. All birds seemed initially wary of their new surroundings and sounds of nearby birdlife, but they have adjusted nicely.
July 24, 2009
Sara Zimorski at the International Crane Foundation reports that on Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 11 Whooping Crane chicks were transferred from ICF to the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) to make up the 2009 Direct Autumn Release (DAR) cohort. The DAR birds are initially isolation reared at ICF and then at the Necedah NWR until the fall when they are released on or near the refuge with older Whooping Cranes and Sandhill Cranes from whom they learn the migration route.
The 11 chicks, originating from eggs produced at ICF, the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland, and the Audubon Species Survival Center in Louisiana. They range quite a bit in age and size, from 18 to 57 days old.
Most of the DAR chicks this year are female, with just three males in the group of 11. With 23 ultralight birds and 11 DAR birds there could be as many as 34 (15 males and 19 females) new birds added to the population this fall and winter! There is currently a shortage of females in the WCEP population (47 males and 31 females), resulting in a lot of single males on the refuge essentially waiting for a female, so it’s great to finally have a large number of females for release this year.
July 22, 2009
We are very sad to report that chick W1-09, the first of two whooping crane chicks to hatch in the wild last month, went missing some time between July 12 and July 15. #W1-09 hatched on June 12 from a captive egg that was substituted into the nest of #’s 12-02 & 19-04 after biologists determined their existing eggs were infertile. The chick appeared to be doing well when it was last seen with its parents on Sunday, July 12th. When the family was next checked on Wednesday, July 15th the parents were out in the open but W1-09 was not with them. Eva Szyszkoski, ICF’s Tracking Field Manager, watched the pair for over an hour but never saw the chick and the behavior of the adults indicated they no longer had a chick.
Fortunately, news on this year's 35 captive-reared chicks is more positive. The third and final group of ultralight-trained chicks was shipped from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center to the Necedah refuge on July 10, thanks to the in-kind services of Windway Capital Corporation planes and pilots. Operation Migration now has 24 chicks in training, the oldest of which are now flying one to two feet off the ground. Cohort 2 is doing well, but is frequently visited by adult pair 13-02 and 18-02, causing unwanted distractions. One member of this group, 18-09, keeps heading for the marsh and needs frequent guidance in paying attention to the ultralight trike.
The International Crane Foundation is raising 11 chicks for the Direct Autumn Release program and will transport this group to the Necedah refuge by the end of this month. They will be released to the wild in early October so they can bond with adults that will lead them on the southern migration.
The Tracking Team reports that all older birds are settled into their summer territories and are not wandering much. Only four adults have not been seen in awhile. Meanwhile, the one-year-olds continue to wander around central Wisconsin, staying closer to home than previous whooping crane teenagers have. Sightings of these birds, now in their adult plumage, have been reported in Monroe, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Juneau, and Lincoln counties.
The Florida Fish & Game Department reports that one whooping crane chick has fledged from the four active nests this year. That experimental flock numbers around 30 birds.
The 9th annual Necedah Whooping Crane Festival will occur on Saturday, September 19. A full day of refuge tours, Operation Migration flyovers, interesting speakers, and a variety of exhibits is planned. Visit www.whooping-crane-festival.com for more details.
July 8, 2009
Sad news came from the field crew late last week when they reported the loss of wild whooping crane chick W2-09--the chick hatched last month by the First Family. The chick was last seen on June 28. On June 29, the chick was hidden by dense vegetation, but the parents’ behavior indicated there was still a chick present. The following day the pair behaved as if no chick were present. Subsequent movements and behaviors have confirmed the loss of their chick.
The other wild-hatched whooping crane chick, W1-09, a captive-produced egg hatched by foster parents in the wild, continues to do well on its parents’ territory in Wood County.
Operation Migration is now training 14 chicks at Necedah. Cohort 1 has eight chicks and Cohort 2 has six chicks. A third group will arrive shortly from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.
July 1, 2009
The two young chicks are doing very well. When biologists checked the nest of the Royal Family shortly after W2-09 hatched, they found a second egg that was punctured and had a fully developed chick inside. No explanation was given as to what might have happened to that egg.
On June 25, eight Operation Migration chicks were flown via Windway Capital Corporation aircraft from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland to the Necedah refuge. Fifteen more are due to be shipped soon, in two groups. One of these has a leg injury and it is unclear whether that chick will join the Class of 2009 or not. The maximum number of chicks trained by Operation Migration this year will be 23.
At the International Crane Foundation, ten chicks are currently being raised in isolation for the Direct Autumn Release (DAR) program and one more chick is due to hatch soon. They will be transferred to the Necedah refuge later this summer. Early-hatching chicks are placed with the ultralight program since they leave on migration sooner than the DAR chicks do. The maximum total number of chicks to be involved in the DAR and ultralight programs this year, the project's ninth year, is 34.
Biologists conducted an aerial survey of nests in the Wood Buffalo/Aransas population of whooping cranes from June 16-20, to count the number of chicks produced. They found 52 chicks from 62 nests, and two pairs were still incubating. This is the normal number of chicks per nest produced by that population.
Dates for behind the scenes field trips at the Necedah refuge for NRF's Crane Club members have been set for August 26-29. To become a Crane Club member (donation of $100 or more) and receive an invitation to these very special field trips, go to "What We Do" and scroll to "Rare and Endangered Species". Field trips include watching an early morning ultralight training session from a nearby blind, meeting the Operation Migration pilots and seeing their aircraft at the hangar, touring the refuge to see whooping cranes in the field, and informative talks from staff who monitor wild whoopers and raise chicks for the DAR program.
June 22, 2009
A lot has happened since our last update. Most exciting is the hatching of two chicks in the wild during the past 10 days! On June 11, WCEP biologists decided to check the nest of 12-02 & 19-04, on private property in Wood County, as this pair has a history of producing infertile eggs. Indeed, they found that one egg was infertile and one was rotten. The WCEP crew brought with them a pipping egg produced by the International Crane Foundation's captive flock, so they removed the two existing eggs and replace them with the pipping egg. When the nest was checked the next morning, chick #W1-09 had hatched. He or she is now 10 days old and is doing well.
On June 15, WCEP staff noticed that the Royal Pair, 11-02 & 17-02, were behaving as though they had a chick (they were stamping grass and carrying food), but tall vegetation prevented staff from seeing a chick. It was Thursday before biologists confirmed that one chick, #W2-09, had hatched. This pair raised two chicks in 2006, one of which was killed by predators that September and the other, W1-06, is now paired with 10-03 and attempted to breed this year.
The re-nest of a third pair, 3-04 & 9-03, failed on June 14. So the total number of young produced in the wild in 2009 will stand at two.
Meanwhile, a problem has been brewing at the Necedah ethanol plant this spring, as #10-07 and a handful of other 2007 birds have become increasingly bold in their interactions with humans. Use of the swamp monster costume and other scare tactics were ineffective in keeping the birds away from the waste corn at the plant. On June 3, ring-leader 10-07 was captured, transported to the International Crane Foundation for examination, and then flown to his new home at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida. 10-07's mate soon began associating with 9-05 on the Necedah refuge, and other birds at the ethanol plant were also easily scared away.
This brings the total maximum population of the Eastern Flock to 78 adults and yearlings, and two chicks. One is in Lower Michigan; three females are in Dodge, Marathon, and Winnebago counties; four are in unknown locations; and the rest of the adults are in the core area of central Wisconsin. The fifteen wandering yearlings have been observed recently in groups of 1-4 birds in Juneau, Jefferson, Marquette, Marathon, Lincoln, Monroe, and Columbia counties.
The world's total population of whooping cranes now stands at just over 500, not counting chicks (WCEP = 78, Florida = 29, Wood Buffalo was 247 prior to spring migration, and captive ~ 151).
Operation Migration is gearing up to send its first cohort of nine chicks from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland to the Necedah refuge on Friday, June 25. The current schedule calls for Cohorts 2 and 3 to arrive at Necedah on July 2nd and 10th. One chick was recently euthanized due to health problems and at least one is being held back for genetic reasons, but the Class of 2009 will still be good-sized.
On the research front, black fly trapping concluded on June 20. Population levels were quite low at that point. The study on food use and food availability will conclude this week. Since the nesting season is now over, biologists involved in these studies will focus on analyzing data and writing their reports by August 1.
June 3, 2009
Four pairs are still incubating, and a fifth hard-to-find pair might also be "on eggs". Among these pairs is the Royal Family (the pair that fledged W1-06 three years ago) and a sibling pair. Four are on the Necedah refuge and one is on private property in Wood County.
Yearling male 19-08, who wandered to North Dakota and south central Minnesota in May, was detected in flight southwest of the Necedah refuge on June 1 and was later found with DAR 27-06 in Monroe County. All other yearlings are wandering around the core area in the central part of the state.
A recent survey of Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Canada found 61 nesting pairs of whooping cranes, only five short of the record 66 nests found in 2008. Considering the high number of mortalities this past winter, this is very promising. Snow banks and ice still dot the landscape there.
Nine of the 11 chicks that were expected to hatch at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center last week, did. One died and one was euthanized due to blindness, leaving seven new, healthy chicks for Operation Migration and Patuxent staff to care for.
NRF Executive Director Charlie Luthin met with WCEP staff and Dr. Peter Adler, a black fly expert from Clemson University, at the Necedah refuge on May 29. While circumstantial evidence seems to point to harassment from black flies as the cause of nest abandonment, Dr. Adler cautioned that we should not jump to this conclusion until data from all studies conducted this spring have been analyzed. Research findings will be presented at the September WCEP meeting.
May 28, 2009
Five pairs have now re-nested in and around the Necedah refuge. One nest failed early on, but the others are still incubating. The first eggs are due to hatch in two weeks. Needless to say, spirits among WCEP staff are much higher than they were a month ago! Many challenges still lie ahead, but the high number of re-nests is very encouraging.
The first chick for the Direct Autumn Release (DAR) program hatched on May 25 and the International Crane Foundation expects two more chicks to hatch by tomorrow. They have seven fertile eggs in their incubator and expect one or two more to arrive from the Calgary Zoo. In total, they hope for 15 fertile eggs for the DAR program so that, accounting for mortalities and health problems, they will be able to release 8-12 chicks come October.
Operation Migration is overly busy at Patuxent now with 15 chicks already in training and 11 more due to hatch this week. They always have a goal of taking 20-24 chicks on migration, so they are currently on target with their numbers. The first cohort of nine chicks will be shipped to the Necedah refuge in late June.
There are now 73 whooping cranes in Wisconsin, one in Lower Michigan, one possibly in Minnesota, and four at unknown locations, for a maximum total of 79 individuals. Most of the 2008 yearlings were back at the Necedah refuge last weekend, then they all took off in small groups to wander around central Wisconsin. Male 19-08 was last reported in Steele County, Minnesota on May 7.
With at least 38 new whooping crane mouths to feed, this would be a great time for whooping crane fans to brighten the future for these chicks with a donation! Make your contribution payable to Natural Resources Foundation, put "whooping cranes" on the memo line, and mail it to Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, P.O. Box 2317, Madison, WI 53701-2317. Thank you!
May 22, 2009
Another pair of whooping cranes was recently discovered re-nesting, just outside of the Necedah refuge, so at least three pairs are now incubating eggs. An aerial survey will be conducted soon to search for more re-nesting pairs.
Operation Migration is now busy training 15 chicks at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland, and 11 more will potentially join them, if all those eggs are fertile. Two eggs havebeen allotted to the Direct Autumn Release program so far. They will be hatched at the International Crane Foundation and taken to the Necedah refuge once the chicks are about a month old.
Reports on Florida's flock of 30 non-migratory whooping cranes indicate the drought there is taking its toll. One chick is 60 days old, but the handful of other nests have been hit hard by predators. The six-month period from November 2008 through April 2009 was the dryest on record, and the resulting low water levels make it easy for predators to access nests.
Biologists eagerly await reports on the founding flock that winters in Texas and summers in northern Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park. After reaching an all time high population of 270 birds in December, that flock experienced a very difficult winter during which 7 adults and 16 chicks died. Low water levels caused increased salinity in the wetlands those birds rely on, which caused a dramatic decrease in the population of blue crabs, the main ingredient in the winter diet of whooping cranes. The cranes lacked suitable fat and protein in their diet, and became stressed from daily flights to find fresh drinking water. One report from a Rice University professor attributes the low water to decreased inflow from the two main rivers that feed wetlands in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Water is being diverted for human uses, bringing water rights issues there into sharp focus.
Meanwhile, biologists are concerned that these birds left on their demanding 2,500 mile migration in poor body condition. Unless they are able to fatten themselves during migration, they will likely not be in good breeding condition. Recent reports indicated that members of this flock were just completing migration.
Events of this winter highlight the importance of the Eastern Migratory Flock. It serves as an insurance policy for whooping cranes, so if low water levels, oil spills, weather events, disease, or other risk factor decimates the founding flock, a wild population will still exist. Another reason to cheer on the three pairs now incubating!
May 15, 2009
Two pairs of whooping cranes that had abandoned their nests earlier this spring began renesting yesterday on the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge! The one chick that has been p
· Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin ·
PO Box 2317, Madison, WI 53701-2317 ·
(608) 264-6267 ·
Toll-free (866) 264-4096 ·
info@wisconservation.org