Whooping Crane Family on the Move

Posted by Rosemary Drisdelle Nov 23, 2006

After the wild Whooping Cranes of Wood Buffalo and the captive reared Whooping Crane chicks of Operation Migration in Wisconsin had all left their summer territory and headed south for the winter, the First Family remained in Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, foraging in the snow. The First Family, two adults and one chick – one of twins that were the first Whooping Cranes born in the wild in eastern North America in over a hundred years – seemed in no hurry to leave their range in the refuge where they had spent the summer.

But leave they did, finally, on November 18, roosting with a large group of Whooping and Sandhill Cranes at nearby West Rynearson Pool, then leaving again on the first leg of their migration. By the evening of November 19, they were in Indiana. Watch here, or read the Operation Migration Field Journal for further reports of their progress.

The fate of the second chick, which disappeared in early September, remains a mystery, but it is encouraging to see that the folks at Operation Migration have not written the chick off: the Nov 21st Field Journal Entry describes the eastern migratory population as having “1 or 2 wild-hatched chicks.” Presumably the missing chick might have flown to join some of the other released Whooping Cranes in the area.

Operation Migration still needs support for their team of ultra light aircraft pilots and ground crew leading the captive reared cranes on their first migration to Florida. Click the link at the Field Journal titled “We Need Your Help” if you can sponsor a mile or part of a mile. It’s a different kind of air mile - one that can’t help but make you feel great.

Check up on migrating captive reared Whooping Cranes

Whooping Crane and Penguin Update