Journey North Whooping Cranes

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

Crane # 214

Date Hatched

May 16 , 2002

Gender

Female

Pre-migratory Weight: 5.2 kg.

Egg Source: ICF captive flock

Permanent Leg Bands

R/W
(left)

G/W/R
(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

Personality Characteristics: She is a fairly quiet female. She is sometimes shy, but is eager to work with the trikes and costumes.

History:

Fall 2002: On the migration, she dropped out during the first flight and returned to her pen at Necedah. Also dropped out on the 4th leg of the migration, but successfully migrated to Florida with the ultralight Class of 2002. First crane in her class to acquire her adult voice.

Spring 2003: Left Florida on first journey north April 1 with all the rest, but hesitated and turned back alone. Left again on April 2 and chose her own route north. Located by aerial search on May 13 on a remote pond in north central Illinois where she stayed all summer. She is the only crane from the Class of 2002 that did not return to Wisconsin in spring 2003.

Fall 2003: As of Nov. 21, when flock mates were in Florida, she was still in Illinois with sandhill cranes. The last to migrate south in 2003, she began her migration Nov. 28 and arrived at the FLorida pen site on December 2. This lone crane then moved to Madison County. During the winter (on February 7, 2004) she again showed up at the pen site, joining all the new 2003 chicks as well as 3 older "ultra-cranes:" #105 and #202 and #218 from her own class. The older birds tried to chase her away, but eventually stopped.

Spring 2004: #214 stayed back with the chicks when the older whoopers (#105, #204, #218) left on migration March 27. When the other young chicks left on April 7, she remained at the pen site — now by herself (and probably glad!). The first visual of the bird, flying alone, was obtained near Amboy, Illinois, at 1:14pm on April 17. Crane #214 landed at 4:45pm in Lafayette County, Wisconsin — her first time back on Wisconsin soil since the fall of 2002. (She chose northern Illinois as her summer home in 2003.) She was seen in summer 2004 in Monroe County, Wisconsin.

Fall 2004: #214 was spotted migrating with four sandhill cranes northwest in Indiana on November 7, 2004. She was the first ultra-crane to arrive in fall 2004 at Chassahowitzka, first seen there on Nov. 16. She joined wintering sandhill cranes on a cattle ranch in Sumter County, Florida. She returned to the Chassahowitzka pen site on January 29, 2005. Cranes 211, 212 and 217 were also there, and they were intolerant of 214. On Feb. 1, #212 was seen chasing #214 in an aerial dogfight. The remains of #214 were discovered Feb. 6 about 1 mile southeast of the chick's Florida pen. She likely died Feb. 1 or 2, 2005, the apparent victim of a bobcat. Photos.