| Meet
the 2002 Whooping Crane Chicks! Hatch-year 2002 of the Eastern Flock |
|||
| Crane
# 203 |
|||
| Date Hatched |
April 17 , 2002 |
||
| Gender |
Female |
||
| Pre-migratory Weight: 6.6 kg |
|
||
Permanent Leg Bands
|
|
||
|
|||
Personality and History (Scroll to bottom for current news)
Personality: At Patuxent WRC, was very private and independent and watchful. Avoided the rest of the flock, an "odd bird" from the start. Later, became a great flyer and very good at following the plane. Resists changes and is a bit of a rebel. She sometimes dropped out and turned back during training flights. High on the dominance scale. Here's proof: When yearling Cranes #101 and #102 showed up on the Necedah training site, she actually joined with the "costumes" to chase the intruder cranes away! High on the dominance scale.
History:
Fall 2002: On day 1 of the migration, she dropped out and returned unaided to the pen site at Necedah. Also dropped out on the 3rd leg, but successfully completed migration with her Class of 2002. During the first winter in Florida, she developed an attitude. Crane monitor Sara Zimorski reported, "She displaces many of the younger females (especially #217 and #218), usually from the feeders, and sometimes from what seems to be a random area. She'll also stand her ground longer when larger and more dominant birds challenge or attempt to displace her. Chick #203 was a very independent chick from the start, which made training her very challenging. With a lot of hard work, she came around and turned into a great bird. However, somewhere in the process of integrating all 17 birds prior to migration, she became more submissive and cautious within the large group. She later got back some of her confidence and independence. She was not letting herself be pushed around as much anymore, and was instead pushing around some of the younger and less dominant chicks."
Spring
2003: Left Florida in the group
of 15 (included one 2001 bird) and arrived
Wisconsin
April 13. Wandered in her first summer. She and
other females #207 and #215 stayed in South Dakota—too
close to the Aransas/Wood Buffalo Whooping Crane
path and outside the NEP area—so they were
captured
and returned to Necedah August 17-18. She flew briefly
with the ultralight and new chicks one day after
her return! She stayed around the Necedah Refuge
until she
reunited
with #215 on August 29, and both flew to northeastern
Iowa.
Fall 2003: #203 and #215 began
migration from Iowa on November 8, and completed
their migration
7 days later. They were the first "white
birds" to
arrive in Florida for winter 2003-04. After staying
at the pen site, they later moved and were seen
Nov. 21 in a marsh in Hillsborough County, FL.
Then the two moved to Sumter County, where they
spent the winter.
Spring 2004: Left Florida on
spring migration after April 11, 2004. Finally,
203 and 215
were reported in Meeker Co. Minnesota, between
April 17-18.
(These are two of the three females that wandered
west into South Dakota in spring 2003.) However,
they were reported back at Necedah NWR in Wisconsin
April 19!
Fall 2004: Cranes 203, 215 and
216 began migration from Monroe County, Wisconsin,
on November 21.
They left Greene County, IN on December 14. They
roosted that night in Davidson County, Tennessee.
On Dec. 15 the trio flew to Limestone County,
Alabama. They
remained Alabama
until Dec. 23. Crane #215 separated from the
other two birds and #203 and #216 arrived
at the Florida winter pen site on the afternoon
of Dec. 28. The mooved to a ranch in Lake County,
FL
for most
of the winter.
Spring 2005: Began migration
with #216 during March 22-24 and was back at
Necedah March 29!
In May, observed nest building with #317 on the
Refuge. The pair stayed around their established
territory all summer, but did not nest successfully.
Fall 2005: #203 was captured
Nov. 11 (after 4 tries) at Necedah NWR so her
dead
radio transmitter
could be replaced. She began migration Nov. 17
with #317. The pair later joined in flight with
#102,
#212, #301 and #311. They roosted that night
in Will County, Illinois. The group continued
Nov. 18 to roost on a river SW of Indianapolis,
IN. On Dec. 22 they were detected in flight north
of Gainesville, Florida. They landed at their
old pen at Chassahowitzka NWR at 5:50 PM!
They moved to Sumter County,
FL the next day, but returned to check out the
"Chass" pen on Dec. 24.
Spring 2006: #203 and mate #317
left Florida on Feb. 1 with pair #301 and #311.
They were
last tracked on 2 February, when they were in
flight over Okefenokee Swamp. They
were on a heading for the place in South Carolina
where #317 had wintered one year earlier, but
they arrived back on their territory at Wisconsin's
Necedah NWR on March 18 or 19. They built a nest
and began incubating on or by April 7. The eggs
were lost to a predator on April 15 or 16.
On July 25, the remains of #203 were discovered
just SE of her nesting marsh. She appeared to
have been killed by a predator, possibly on July
22. The drought-stricken area had much very little
water for safe roosting.
Journey North is pleased to feature this educational
adventure made possible by the Whooping
Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP).