Whooping
Crane Migration Update: April 28, 2006
Today's Report Includes:
Eastern
Flock Highlights
This week Chick #520, traveling
with wayward adult #309, moved into Vermont--still the
wrong place to be! Experts are realizing that when a bird doesn't
return
to the right place in the first year, the die may be cast. Despite
their efforts to reorient the wayward bird, it may be too late to
"reprogram" it. Says Operation
Migration's Joe Duff, "That
is why it is so
important to retrieve #520, a hapless and inexperienced bird who
just followed #309 to the wrong destination.” We'll keep you
posted on any capture plans.
#528
returns April 24 |
Photo: Richard
Urbanek
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Also this week Chick #528, one
of the four Direct Autumn Release (DAR) birds, became the first DAR
(Direct Autumn Release) bird to arrive
on the refuge in Wisconsin. She returned April 23 to the exact site
where she was reared last summer! Find out locations for the other
three DAR chicks, and all the older cranes in the Eastern Flock,
here:
More
Challenges to Survival
This spring has clearly showed that migration is only ONE challenge to
survival for this endangered species. Nesting
is difficult for birds in the new Eastern flock. This week, another nest
was destroyed by predators. You can cross off the nest of pair #213
and #218, too. When they left their nest unguarded and went off to forage,
experts didn't want to risk
the
eggs
being destroyed
by a
predator. When the pair hadn't returned a few hours later, the eggs
were gone. You might be surprised to learn who took them, and why! Click
on the links in the chart for the photo stories. After
reading the links, write your thoughts:
Journaling
Question: What's your prediction? Will 2006 bring
the first chicks hatched in the Eastern flock? If the eggs of #213
and #218 hatch,
how should the chicks be raised? Explain
Eastern Flock Nest Status
Pair |
Began
Incubating |
Status |
213 and 218 |
April
6 |
Eggs removed and
taken to ICF April 24 |
203 and 317 |
April
7 |
Eggs
lost to predator Apr. 15 or 16 |
101 and 202 |
April
7 |
Eggs
lost April 16 |
211 and 217 |
April
11 |
Eggs destroyed ~April
20 |
209 and 302 |
April
13 |
Still
incubating! |
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Whooping Crane Coordinator Tom Stehn says, “It is 'uncommon' for
whooping crane pairs in Canada to lose eggs to predators. Dr. Richard
Urbanek reports that the attentiveness of the whooping crane pairs in
Wisconsin has increased and is better than last year. Hopefully they'll
re-nest, but its not a given for whooping cranes the way it is for some
bird species.”
You'll hear more from other crane experts when you click on the Discussion
of Challenge Question #10, below.
Western
Flock: Brian Johns Reports Cranes on the Nesting Grounds!
The
first cranes from Texas have now reached the Canadian nesting
grounds! Biologist Brian Johns sent the exciting news. He introduces
us to the Bull's Eye Lake pair, sighted en route for the nesting
grounds in the vast wilderness of Canada’s Wood
Buffalo National Park. What do you think is the most surprising
thing about this crane pair?
(Click
under the photo to see pictures of Brian at work.)
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Western
Flock: Tom Stehn Reports Wintering Grounds Emptying Out
“We're down to only 7 whooping cranes left at Aransas,” reports
Tom after his Wednesday census flight. “The other 207 whooping
cranes have all migrated,” reports Tom Stehn from the Texas
wintering grounds. “The first whooping cranes could be
arriving at their nesting territories at Wood Buffalo National
Park any day now.”
Why are whooping cranes so individualistic that some have nearly
completed their 2,500-mile migration while others haven't even
started? Tom tells us why it's important for individual cranes
to differ biologically from other members of the group. (He says
it's true for humans, too.)
It's almost May, but the whooping cranes that migrated through
the Dakotas last week ran into snow. Snow is a BIG problem for
these birds. What are the biggest risks of snow during migration?
See:
Do
you live along the Texas/Canada migration path? Keep
your eyes on the skies. You might get lucky and see a whooping
crane! See the latest list
of confirmed sightings of cranes from Texas to Canada. (Thanks
to Martha Tacha of the USFWS in Grand Island Nebraska for reporting!)
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Why
Do the Subadults
Go North? Challenge Question #11
In his report this week, Tom Stehn wondered: “Why hasn't a migration
pattern evolved so that the younger non-breeding cranes would remain
at Aransas for 2-3 years until they get mates and are ready to breed? By
staying
at Aransas for several years, they would avoid the dangers associated
with making at least 5 migration trips. Why do you think all the whooping
cranes
in this flock return to Canada every summer?” Send us your answer
to:
Challenge Question #11:
"Why do you think ALL the Western whooping cranes, including subadults,
make
the risky migration north to Canada every summer?"
To respond to this Challenge Question, please follow these instructions.
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What
Happened?
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The
Case of the Missing Eggs: Discussion of Challenge Question #10
Last
week we asked: “Which crane pair that nested in 2005 and
2006 has not yet learned how to keep eggs safe? Why do you think
they're having trouble keeping eggs safe?”
Congratulations to sixth grade homeschooler Marcus, who clearly knows
what the future crane parents need to learn.
Marcus's ideas, along with those of experts Laura, Sara and Joe
help us to look deeper into what might have gone wrong. We all have something
to
learn from this discussion. Please see it here:
The Next
Crane Migration Update Will Be Posted on May 5, 2006.
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1997-2006 Journey
North. All Rights Reserved.
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