Historic Whooping Crane Migration

Posted by Rosemary Drisdelle Dec 12, 2006

W601 is one of a pair of Whooping Cranes chicks that hatched in the wild this last spring in Wisconsin – the first Whooping Cranes to hatch in the wild there in over 100 years. The parents of W601 are cranes that were released from the captive reared birds of Operation Migration, a program that is attempting to reestablish a population of Whooping Cranes in eastern North America by hatching them in captivity and teaching them to migrate using ultra light aircraft.

On Dec 09, this “First Family” completed migration, arriving in Chassahowitzka, Florida. Making history again, W601 is the first second generation Whooping Crane of the Eastern Migratory Population to migrate successfully at the end of the breeding season. The chick remains with its parents, who have moved on to Pasco County, where they will probably spend the winter.

As is often the case, the other chick, W602, did not survive to migrate.

Other content about the First Family:

Two Whooping Crane Chicks Born in the Wild Make History in Wisconsin

The First Family Whooping Crane Fledglings are Flying

Whooping Crane Family on the Move