Journey North Crane

Whooping Crane

The Eastern Flock's 2002-2003 Winter
at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge

The Refuge is 65 miles north of St Petersburg, FL. It has marshlands, swamps, shallow bays and tidal streams.

These photos give a snapshot of the winter for the new Eastern flock of whooping cranes. In its second year of existence, the little flock now numbers 21. The youngest birds were just hatched in spring 2002, and are referred to as the birds of hatch year 02 (HY02). They were raised in captivity, imprinted on an ultralight airplane, and led on the eastern migration route by costumed humansin ultralight planes in the fall of 2002. These 16 were the second group of "ultra whoopers." They join the original five "ultra-whoopers"--the five pioneers-- from hatch year 2001 (HY01). This tiny group of cranes were the FIRST endangered species to make a human-assisted migration. They are part of the bold plan to reintroduce whooping cranes back into eastern North America, where they have been extirpated (gone from the area) for over a century. How and where did the HY01 and the HY02 groups spend the winter? Will the newest youngsters know when and where to return in the spring? Stay tuned!

Sixteen whoopers arrived Nov. 30 after a 49-day, 1202-mile journey led by ultralight airplanes from Wisconsin, where the cranes had learned to fly and will spend each summer. For the next several months, all of these magnificent juveniles will freely come and go from their predator-proof enclosure at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, learning about tides and catching blue crabs. The cranes had medical exams upon arrival. Doctors first put hoods over the crane's heads and worked in silence. The birds must not see human faces or hear human voices. Photos OM

All the cranes wear radio tracking bands on one leg, and five cranes were now fitted with PTTs (satellite tracking devices). The open-topped pen is made of 8-foot high fencing. The cranes can come and go as they like. The bottom of the pen is alligator-proofed with heavey wire screening, and electric fenc wire discourages other predators. A monitoring team of two made the long airboat ride to the crane's island each day. They ensured the safety of the birds by setting live traps for bobcats. They kept notes on the cranes' behaviors. They travel in airboats like these. Photo ICF

The crane caretakers can hide in this blind to watch the crnnes. They come twice a day to the island. A solar-powered video monitoring system helps keep watch when the humans aren't there. A feeding station inside the pen provides a constant supply of high protein crane chow and fresh water. To make up for the fluctuating tide, workers built an artificial roosting area, made from oyster shells. Now it doesn't matter how high the tide gets. The cranes can always find a spot on the "oyster bar" to roost at night.
Photos OM. This is the pen. It is heart-shaped with a fence almost bisecting the middle. Last year the pen was much smaller, just the eastern third of the current pen. Now there's more shallow water and roost areas to the west. Birds that want to get away from one another can walk around the fence at either end.
Photo Jim Harris, ICF

Guess who arrived at the Florida pen first? Yearling Crane #7, the independent female came on November 22, 2002. Yearlings #1 and #2 arrived on Nov. 26. Yearling #6 stayed in Tennessee, and didn't get to Florida until January 4, 2003! The photo shows yearling #5 arriving on Nov. 28. Crane #5 stayed with the new chicks in the pen all winter. Sometimes he was aggressive to the youngsters. Yearling Cranes #1 and #2 paired up during their first summer back at Necedah. They moved together to Pasco County, Florida for most of the winter after their first unaided journey south. This photo shows yearling Cranes #6 and #7 when they were briefly together in Madison County, Florida--among a flock of sandhill cranes. it was the first time yearling #7 had been with one of her flock mates she she broke off from the group during their first spring migration back to Wisconsin. The cranes never see a human form without the baggy white costume. Caretakers try to minimize time with the cranes. These birds must remain wild to have the best chances for survival.

Sara Zimorski tracked some of the yearling cranes on their first unaided journey south. She has been at Chassahowitzka all winter, monitoring all the birds of the new Eastern flock. Dr. Richard Urbanek, in his tracking vehicle, is the other member of the monitoring and tracking team. He and Sara are experts from ICF. They will follow the cranes north in the spring!

Try This! Discussion or Journaling Question
To keep them as wild as possible and not dependent on humans, the cranes were raised by very strict rules. You can read more about the rules, or protocol, by which these "ultra- whoopers" were raised. The same rules will apply to all the chicks hatched and raised to join the new Eastern Flock for perhaps three more years. Each year a new group of chicks will have ultralights for their stand-in parents. The training plan and ultralight flights will continue until probably 2005. By then, the oldest cranes may begin laying egg and hatching chicks. They will teach their young the migration route and the ways of wild cranes.

Do you think the first and second flocks can be called truly wild? Explain your answer. Do you think that will change?