FINAL Whooping Crane Migration Update: May 14, 2004

Today's Report Includes:

• Migration Complete for Some, Not All
• Craniac Quick Quiz
• 8 Eastern Chicks and Their Nemesis, Lake Michigan: A Decision
• Whooping Cranes’ Journey: A Poem by Mrs. Cantor’s Second Graders
• Nekoosa 4th Graders Tell About Discovery of Canadian Nesting Grounds
• Two Flocks of Migratory Whoopers for North America
• What’s Next? ’04 Ultralight Chicks Already in Training
• Craniacs, What’s Your Score?
• Heather’s Mystery Photo: Discussion of Challenge Question #12
• Year-End Evaluation: Please Share Your Thoughts!

Aransas/Wood Buffalo Migration Data

Migration Complete for Some, Not All

Western Flock Sharing news worth celebrating, Tom Stehn tells us that another migration for the Western flock of 194 whoopers is now history! “I could not find any whooping cranes on a census flight on May 12th. The two whoopers last seen at Aransas late in the day on May 4th have departed. The 2003-04 winter for the whooping crane population is over, with birds presumably already sitting on nests in Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park, with the rest in migration.” Tom is right about that, and we just got this last-minute report from Brian Johns:

"The whoopers have arrived! The first report of a whooping crane in the park was received by the Wood Buffalo National Park office last week. Nesting may be slightly behind that of last year because of the later spring. There are still frozen ponds and snow in the crane nesting area. I will be making my first flight looking for nesting whooping cranes on May 15, and over the next week we hope to find 60 or more nesting pairs." Thank you Brian, and we look forward to your report on the 2004 nesting season for the wild whooping cranes.

Tom Stehn has other important news for you too. Read his full report and list ways people are helping whooping cranes have a safer migration. For example, how can electric companies help cranes migrate more safely? Upon what type of habitat are whooping cranes dependent for survival every day of their lives? How many whoopers is Tom hoping to welcome back to Texas next fall after the summer nesting season in Canada? Find it all here, and Tom’s wishes for YOU, too! THANK YOU, TOM, for another season of wonderful letters to us!

• Tom Stehn’s Full Report
  
  

HY2003 chicks train at Necedah NWR. Photo Joe Duff.

Eastern Flock (“Ultracranes”)This unusual “nail-biter” migration isn’t over yet, but we can celebrate the latest news: ICF’s Sara Zimorski tells us that on May 12, cranes #306 and #317 were detected roosting at Necedah, so they have officially completed their spring migration. This means five HY2003 birds are officially home: 311, 310, 313, 306, and 317. Of the 36 whooping cranes from ultralight flocks 2001, 2002, and 2003, 25 have been confirmed in Wisconsin. Several are wandering in nearby counties, normal behavior for young cranes. Imagine! You may look upward during future migrations and see these cranes or their children or grandchildren flying majestically overhead.

Three ultracranes are still in locations unknown. These birds are #302 and #307, and #201 (not seen since leaving FL on April 6. And eight 2003 chicks are still in Michigan. Even though this is our final report of the season, we’ll keep the chicks’ migration journal updated when we hear any news:

• First Journey North for the HY2003 Chicks

But first. . .

Photo Heather Ray, OM

Craniac Quick Quiz
You’ve learned many things about this historic migration project and also the endangered whooping cranes of the only natural migratory flock. What are the answers to the questions below? If you’ve read this seaon’s reports carefully, you’ve found all the right answers.

T or F? In Fall 2003, ultralight planes led 16 chicks for the tiny Eastern flock from Wisconsin to Florida because they had no adult wild crane parents to teach them this migration route.
T or F? The Aransas/Wood Buffalo flock’s journey north is about 2,500 miles, while the Eastern flock’s is less than half that distance.
T or F? The natural flock and the reintroduced flock will someday blend into one big flock of whooping cranes.
T or F? WCEP partners decided to lead the 8 whoopers in Michigan back to Wisconsin behind ultralight planes if they don’t fly home on their own.
T or F? It has taken 64 years for the Aransas/Wood Buffalo flock to grow from a low of 15 birds in 1941 to the present population of 194, and it has taken 3 years for the reintroduced Eastern flock to grow from zero to 36 birds.
T or F? The young whoopers newly arrived back at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin will lay eggs and raise their own chicks in summer 2004.
T or F? Whooping cranes depend on prairie habitat for survival every day of their lives.
T or F? The biggest danger to migrating whooping cranes is electrical power lines because they cannot see them.

Eastern Flock Migration Data

8 Eastern Chicks and Their Nemesis, Lake Michigan
A look at this week’s migration map shows that Group 1A (#301, 305, 309, 318, and 319) has moved around a bit in the past few days, but the giant obstacle of Lake Michigan blocks their path home to Necedah NWR. As of May 11, they have stayed in Muskegon County MI (see the map and Migration Data Page). They are almost on a straight line and fewer than 200 miles due east of Necedah NWR! Will they keep trying to return to their home in Wisconsin? Will they stay in Michigan? Will the WCEP partners take action to get the cranes safely home? What do the partners know for sure about these birds? Will the birds be safe if they stay in Michigan? What are some educated guesses about the future of these cranes?

Thanks, Sara! Photo Heather Ray

Last time ICF’s Sara Zimorski shared the scientists’ thoughts, and we asked what you would do if you were the scientists. Today we thank Sara for a tremendous season of reporting and photos as she brings us up to date. A decision has been made about the stymied whoopers. Find out what decision, and how WCEP scientists made it:

• The Cranes and Lake Michigan: Next Steps
  

Whooping Cranes’ Journey: A Poem by Mrs. Cantor’s Second Graders
We are proud to share a tribute to the young whoopers of the Eastern flock, now either making their first unaided migration north, or hanging out in Wisconsin after completing it successfully without ultralight “parents” to guide them. Thank you, second graders and Ms. Cantor! WOW!

Dear Journey North,
My Second Grade class has followed the whooping cranes all year, from hatch to return migration. We have written a poem as a class that we would like for you to see. We admire the work you do very much. You have increased our knowledge and love of these wild birds. We hope you like our poem!

Sincerely, Nancy Cantor
Second Grade teacher, University School, Ft.
Lauderdale, FL

• Whooping Cranes’ Journey
  

Try This! As you read the poem, underline words that you have come to understand by your study of the whooping cranes this year. Find descriptive words that you feel were carefully chosen to help people understand about the cranes and the first year of their lives. After hearing the poem once or twice, plan a choral reading with small groups reading each line. Then do a performance for another class.

Nekoosa Fourth Graders Tell About Discovery of Canadian Nesting Grounds
We were delighted to receive an answer to our Journaling Question about how the Western flock’s nesting grounds came to be discovered in the enormous wilderness of Canada’s far north. Students from Nekoosa, Wisconsin live within visiting distance of the new Eastern flock’s summer nesting and breeding grounds at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. No wonder they (and their teacher) are craniacs! The students and their teacher know a LOT about cranes, and we heartily cheer and thank them for sharing their research in a concise paragraph. See it here:

• How the Western Flock’s Nesting Grounds Were Discovered

Two Flocks of Migratory Whoopers for North America
There will be no more pens for the young cranes just returned to Necedah NWR. They’re on their own! This is the time for them to practice their wildness for real. These whoopers, hatched last April and May, will soon turn one year old. In terms of human lives, these birds are not quite teenagers—at least, they’re not yet interested in dating. Whooping cranes usually start forming pairs while they are two and three years old, and probably won’t nest till they’re four or five. These captive-reared cranes have already spent a lot of time together, and so may start pairing a bit sooner than wild-reared cranes would. But the Eastern reintroduced flock is a first, so no one is sure what’s going to happen. Perhaps the summer of 2005 could see the very first eggs laid and chicks hatched by ultracranes!

During the next few months, the HY2003 chicks will break their bond with humans, fine-tune their survival skills, and become as free and independent as nature intended. During their journey north, they selected proper crane habitat and avoided people—even when people found them. These cranes we’ve watched so closely may live 20 to 30 years in the wild, and they will be the ancestors of what we hope will be a thriving Eastern flock.

"Freedom, Liberty, Courage" Photo Wayne Kryduba

During their lifetime, we hope the Western flock will add to its numbers. It has taken 64 years for the flock to grow from a low of 15 birds in 1941 to the present population of 194. But the two flocks will never meet. This is necessary to prevent the spread of any diseases among them, and to protect the entire species from being wiped out by a single storm or disaster. We wish them well.

Try This! Discussion or Journaling
The sculpture in the photo stands on the new Eastern flock’s summer grounds at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. The name of this sculpture is Freedom, Liberty, and Courage. Why do you think the title of this crane sculpture is a good one for Necedah NWR?

WCEP Chick #401 at 1 day of age. Photo Kathleen O'Malley.

What’s Next? ’04 Ultralight Chicks Already in Training
The new chicks for fall’s ultralight-led journey south are hatching, growing and learning. The Hatch Year 2004 “baby book” is growing too! We share precious photos from Operation Migration’s Heather Ray and from Kathleen O’Malley at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland where the chicks are now. Heather shares this funny story from her visit to Patuxent in May: “While I was in costume and watching from the sidelines, I could hear what I thought was the chick peeping; yet, its beak wasn't moving at the same time as I heard the peeps. I knew it was a definite whooper chick peep. I looked around, and about six feet from me, watching from the top of a fence, was a Mockingbird imitating the whooper chick! I told Dan about it when he was finished with the training session. Dan added his own story: It took about an hour for that same Mockingbird to figure out that mealworms come out of Robo-crane and the bird would often swoop down and grab the mealworms before the chicks could get them!”

See what the new chicks are doing at Patuxent Ground School before they are shipped to Wisconsin in June for Flight School. (Imagine! Next spring you’ll be tracking their first journey north!) Photos from Kathleen and Heather tell the story:

• HY2004 Chicks Begin Training at Patuxent WRC
  

Click to enlarge. Photo Heather Ray.

Heather's Mystery Photo: Answer to Challenge Question #12
Operation Migration’s Heather Ray challenged you to look at this photo for clues to answer: “Who is this crane?” Heather cautions us, “Green over White on the left leg, combined with another very important word in the bonus clue, means it could be only one of three cranes. Now what's the other important word in the bonus clue?”

Hooray for Christyn, Patricia, Sarah and Dana from Iselin Middle School/grade 7 for their correct answer! “Observing Meet the Flock 2001, we think the bird is crane #7. She liked to be alone and had a green over white RADIO transmitter on her left leg.”

Year-End Evaluation: Please Share Your Thoughts!
Please take a few minutes to share your suggestions and comments in our Year-End Evaluation Form below.

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Journey North Year End Evaluation Please share your thoughts

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