Journey North Whooping Cranes

Spring 2003: Left Florida on first journey north April 1, 2003 with 14 other whoopers and returned successfully to Wisconsin with the group, arriving April 13 and 14. Wandered during the summer and seemed to prefer staying in Minnesota's Dodge County. Hard to keep track of because both her radio and satellite transmitters have failed, but she returned to western Wisconsin by 2003 summer's end.

Fall 2003: Left on migration from Necedah NWR around November 7, flying alone. Seen at Hiwassee Wildlife Area in Tennessee Nov. 17 and 21. Satellite reading showed she arrived in Florida November 25 and roosted in Madison County with a large flock of sandhill cranes. Moved to Pasco County, Fl with #209, #211 and #212 from her cohort. Moved again December 4 to Marion County, FL. She later broke from the group and went to Lake County, FL by herself.

Spring 2004: Left on spring migration from Lake County, FL on April 6, but was "missing in action" until July 30, 2004, when she was confirmed in south-central in Michigan among sandhill cranes. She did not return to Wisconsin but stayed in Michigan.

Fall 2004: She began migration from Kalamazoo County, MI on or shortly after November 2. Detected flying alone over Illinois Nov. 7. Reported at Hiwassee State Wildlife Refuge in Meigs County, Tennessee on November 10. Departed there to resume migration on Dec. 12. Wintered at Lake Woodruff NWR, Florida.

Spring 2005: Hooray! Crane #201 returned to Wisconsin! Roosted in Adams County, WI on April 3 with her new mate, crane #306. By April 6 the two had moved to Juneau County, WI. They were seen in and around Necedah NWR throughout the summer.

Fall 2005: Began migration with #306 on Nov. 17 and was confirmed that night at Jasper-Pulaski SWA in Indiana. Next reported (with #306) the end of November at Hiwassee NWR in Tennessee when the 2005 ultralight chicks and other cranes were also there. She and #306 arrived at their territory at Lake Woodruff NWR, Florida, on December 20 to spend the winter.

Spring 2006: Began migration from Florida (with #306) on March 27 or 28. No reports received during migration. She and 306 were found back on their territory in Wood County, Wisconsin on April 6.

Fall 2006: #201 and mate #306 began migration from Wisconsin's Necedah NWF on
November 9 and made it to northern Illinois that night. They were in Daviess County, Indiana on Nov. 24 and soon made it to their winter territory in Florida.

Spring 2007: Began migration from Volusia County, FL on Mar. 7 with #307. They were confirmed back home in Wisconsin during an aerial survey on March 23. On May 17 they were reported building their first nest! She was last observed on June 9, 2007. Her transmitter is nonfunctional, and she cannot be tracked. Her mate, #306, was temporarily flightless due to molting his feathers, and was killed by a predator in a dry marsh on or around July 6, 2007. Crane #201 may have left her mate in June to escape their drought-stricken territory and find a safer location with water for roosting. She has been missing ever since.

She was presumed dead and removed from the population total in July 2008 after being missing 13 months.