Journey North Whooping Cranes

Meet the 2002 Whooping Cranes!
Hatch-year 2002 of the Eastern Flock

Crane # 217

Date Hatched

May 18 , 2002

Gender

Female

Pre-migratory Weight: 5.0 kg

R/W
(left:1.5-inch bands)

G/R
(right: 1-inch bands)

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: Usually quiet little chick. According to Dan, she doesn't like smelt for a treat — a very unusual trait! But just see what this chick did later in her history-making life:

History:

Fall 2002: Successfully finished her first journey south behind ultralight plane.

Spring 2003: Left Florida on first journey north April 1, 2003 with 14 other whoopers. Returned successfully to Wisconsin April 13. Spent the summer about 15 miles from Necedah NWR with five flock mates.

Fall 2003: Began migration on Nov. 13 with six flock mates and #102. This group of eight arrived at their old pen site in Florida on November 21, 2003. During their entire journey south, the group stayed together and didn't even mix with sandhill cranes. This group left the old pen and moved to Pasco County shortly after arriving in Florida. Five of them, including #217, 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, 205, 208, and 216. PTT readings indicated the group roosted in Indiana on March 22, and moved to DeKalb County, IL March 23. They arrived home at Necedah NWR on April 1, 2004.

Fall 2004: Remained at or near Necedah NWR (along with #211 and 212) until Dec. 11. Arrived at the Florida pen site December 15—flying the whole route in just 4-1/2 days! They roosted that night in the pool within the pen, near the top-netted enclosure containing the 13 newly-arrived 2004 chicks. On December 16th they stayed at the pen all day and night. On December 17 these 3 moved to the marsh 1 mile west of the enclosure but visited the pen often. The trio of 217, 211 and 212 moved on Dec. 26th to the Pasco County site, which was used by 211 and 212 during winter 2003-04. Cranes #217, 211 and 212 sometimes returned to the pen site. They were hostile to #214 when she also returned in February, and they drove her away.

Spring 2005: Crane 217 (with 205, 211, and 212) departed Pasco County, FL between March 10 - 12. Confirmed back at Necedah NWR in Wisconsin by March 29. On the evening of 17 April, #217 (female) stayed on the nest the pair built in the pond on the east side of the dike, while #211 (male) roosted alone on the west side of the dike on their pond. This behavior could indicate that laying of an egg is imminent. Sure enough! They laid an egg in their nest, probably April 19. Unfortunately, the pair left the nest site and moved off the refuge by late afternoon, leaving the nest unattended during the night. The next morning the egg was gone, apparently taken by a raccoon or other predator. The pair remained together on or near their territory at Necedah NWR all summer. In the fall they foraged in a field along with the direct autumn release (DAR) chicks with only minor aggression. If other adults appeared around the DAR chicks' home, pair #217 and 211 usually drove them away.

Fall 2005: Began migration from Wisconsin shortly after sunrise on Nov. 24 with #211. They were not tracked. The pair reached their former pen site in Florida on December 1. They moved to a ranch in nearby Pasco County and sometimes associated with #205 and #313, as well as with small groups of sandhill cranes.

Spring 2006: Crane #217 (together with #211) began migration from a cattle ranch in Pasco County, Florida on February 28. They apparently arrived on their territory at Necedah NWR in Wisconsin on March 28. They built a nest and were confirmed incubating on April 11! But on April 20 both these adults were seen foraging together, an indication that their nest had failed. Biologists examined the nest site on the morning of April 21. No egg remains were found in or near the nest. A crane egg shell, believed to be from this Whooping Crane nest, was found on the dike about 300 meters from the nest, probably carried there by an avian predator. See photos. Then—surprise! This pair nested again and began incubating on May 23 at the original nest site they used last year. This time they stayed with their eggs. On June 22, 2006, experts watching through binoculars saw that the adult cranes' behavior had changed. The eggs had hatched! Twin chicks were confirmed on June 23. What a celebration! The new Eastern flock has its first family! Follow their story in our First Family photo slide show.

Fall 2006: The First Family left on their first migration south on Nov. 19, the day that a record total of 28 whooping cranes began migration. The parents and their surviving female chick (called W601) made it that day to Indiana! On December 9, 2006 at 4:08 pm parents #211 and #217 and their surviving chick arrived at the Florida pen site. The new parents brought their chick to the same place THEIR parent, the ultralight plane, brought them in 2002. WELL DONE! The family later moved to a lake in a large housing development in Hernando County, FL (not a good idea). They left that location in after February 22.

#211 and #217 on their April 2007 nest (later abandoned)
Photo Richard Urbanek, ICF

Spring 2007: The First Family (Mom #217, Dad #211, and chick #W601) began migration from Florida on Feb. 23. No further confirmed reports were received until March 20 when the radio signals of 211 and 217 and their chick #W601 were confirmed back on Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin! Their chick is the first wild-hatched chick in the eastern migratory population, and the first to complete a roundtrip migration by following her parents — a milestone for the reintroduction of this new flock! By March 26, the chick had separated from the parents (normal behavior). The adults built a new nest and began incubating eggs on April 3. The nest was later abandoned; they began building another nest around May 17, but they did not hatch eggs this year.

Fall 2007: Pair #217 and #211 left on migration November 22, 2007. Found in Vermillion County, Indiana, on November 24 and still there when trackers checked on December 13. They were gone when the area was checked on December 23. On January 3, 2008, ICF tracker Eva detected signals for #211 and #217, the First Family parents. Eva confirmed the birds had landed at the Chassahowitzka pen site by making a trip to the boat ramp where she could once again hear their signals coming from the direction of the pen site. They stayed the night at the pen site. Eva wondered where they'd go next. She monitored them. The next morning they took off at 11:30. At noon they landed on their former territory and found W601, their female offsping from 2006! The photo and caption tell what happened:

The First Family on the adults' Florida territory.
Juvenile W601 was on her parents' territory when they arrived on January 4, 2008. Eva watched the family reunion. All 3 whooping cranes were less than 1 meter apart then W1-06 started walking away. The parents caught up with her and all 3 walking, then stopped and foraged together. It will be interesting to see what happens next. Will they chase the youngster away, which would be expected behavior? Trackers will continue to monitor these three birds closely to see how they interact.
Photo Eva Szyszkoski, ICF Tracking Team

On Feb. 15, 2008, the two adults left their territory and flew to visit their old "Chass" pen where the Class of 2007 now lives. The adults landed in the pen and the chicks immediately ran and flapped to them, attacking intruders who dared enter their territory. The adults took the hint and flew a short distance away, with chicks on their tails. They were chased from the pen in a matter of minutes, flying to the west to land in a nearby creek. They got the message and didn't come back!