Journey North Whooping Cranes

Meet the 2002 Whooping Crane Chicks!
Hatch-year 2002 of the Eastern Flock

Crane # 205

Date Hatched

April 22 , 2002

Gender

Male

Pre-migratory Weight: 5.8 kg

Permanent Leg Bands

R/W
(left)

G/R/W
(right)

Read about the naming system, hatch place in Maryland, release site in Wisconsin, over-wintering site in Florida, and leg-band codes.

Personality and History (Scroll to bottom for current news)

Personality Characteristics: A good-sized male who often picked on the other chicks when he was young. He was chums with with Crane #204. He used to follow rebel Crane #3 back to the pen when #203would drop out of training flights. Chick #205 ranked in the middle of dominance until he became top bird during the winter 2002-03 in Florida, displacing #213 from "first place."

History:

Fall 2002: Successfully finished his first journey south behind ultralights.

Spring 2003: Left Florida in the group of 15 (which included one 2001 bird) and arrived back in Wisconsin April 13. He spent part of the summer in the southwest area of Wisconsin, but his radio signal was detected on the Necedah Refuge again on June 15. He was in the company of crane #102 from the Class of 2001 ultralight whoopers.

Fall 2003: Began migration on Nov. 13 with six flock mates and #102 from the 2001 flock. This group of eight arrived at the Florida pen site at Chass on November 21, 2003. During their entire 2003 journey south, the group stayed together and was never seen migrating with sandhill cranes. This group moved to Pasco County shortly after arriving in Florida. Five of them, including #205, split from the group and moved to the same area of Pasco County that #101 and #102 occupied in winter 2002.

Spring 2004: Left Florida on spring migration around March 13, together with 101, 102, 208, 216, and 217. PTT readings indicated the group roosted in SW Indiana on March 22, but moved to DeKalb County, IL on March 23. The group arrived home at Necedah NWR on April 1, 2004.

Fall 2004: #205 and 306 departed Necedah NWR on Nov. 7 and flew that day to Iroquois County, IL. Next reported at Hiwassee State Wildlife Refuge in Meigs County, TN from November 10 through about Dec. 18. Shortly after, #205 and #418 (the 2004 chick who was left behind when his cohort made their journey south with ultralights) were sighted at the Hixtown Swamp in Florida—migration complete! Apparently, #205 showed new chick #418 the way to Florida after they found each other in Tennessee. The two settled near where #205 spent last winter, on a ranch in central Florida where cranes #211, 212 and 217 were wintering. Wonderful!

Spring 2005: Cranes #205, 211, 212 and 217 left Pasco County, FL between March 10 and March 12. Reported on March 13 in Blount County, Tennessee. Confirmed back at Necedah NWR in Wisconsin by March 29. Male #205 didn't pair up with a female.

Fall 2005: Began migration on Nov. 24 with #313. Not tracked. On December 1 they reached #205's winter home on a Pasco County ranch in Florida, where he wintered last year. By the end of December, at least 100 sandhill cranes were there along with Whooping Cranes #102, #212, #208, #105, and #204. The pair (#205/#313) unison-called when the newly arrived Whooping Cranes flew over them and #205 was aggressive toward the other birds; but the 7 whooping cranes roosted together on December 23 and 24.

Spring 2006: Crane #205 (together with #313) began migration from Pasco County, Florida on February 28. A pair of cranes reported March 3 in Indiana could have been this pair. They were confirmed home in Wisconsin March 17.

Fall 2006: Left Wisconsin on Nov. 19 (with #105 and #204) and made it to NE Illinois on day 1. Found in Pasco County, FL on Nov. 24. Moved and remained in the subadult flock on a cattle ranch in Pasco County.

Spring 2007: Crane #205 left Florida on February 22/23 and was reported in Indiana on March 3-6. Arrived back in Wisconsin on Necedah NWR by March 19.

Fall 2007: Last confirmed on Necedah NWR territory on October 16. Transmitter does not work so he cannot be tracked.

2008-09: Missing. Still no sighting news as of January, 2009. Although his death was never confirmed or substantiated by additional evidence, in May 2009 he was no longer considered alive in the Eastern flock population totals.