Update on Whooping Crane Migration

Posted by Rosemary Drisdelle Oct 28, 2006

The Operation Migration Whooping Cranes are now in Illinois having crossed from Wisconsin on Oct 24. Wind, rain, and turbulence keep them grounded many a day, and the human pilots leading them south must contend with engine trouble and early morning frost on the wings – all the same, a look at the comparison graph for other years shows that this year’s migration is not doing too badly. No doubt they’ll arrive in Florida before the middle of December as usual.

There are some wonderful videos of Whooping Cranes at National Geographic News, including great video footage of the first day of the migration and commentary by Joe Duff, one of the pilots and also co-founder of the program. Another of the pilots, Chris Gullikson, is also shown. Don't miss these great shots of Whooping Cranes and the ultra light aircraft in the air and on the ground.

Previous blog posts about the migration:

October 4, 2006 Whooping Cranes are Migrating

October 12, 2006 Inside a Whooping Crane Migration

October 18, 2006 News About Operation Migration