Eastern Flock Chicks: Hatch Year 2008
Back to Meet the Cranes

Learn to migrate
by following ultralight airplanes

Group 1 chicks are captive-born.

Crane #803
(died 4/29/09)

Crane #804 (#4-08)

Crane #805 (#5-08)
(presumed dead 2011)

Crane #812
(#12-08)
(presumed dead 2011)

Crane #813
(#13-08)
(presumed dead 2013)

Crane #814 (#14-08)

Crane #818 (#18-08)
(died April 2010)

Crane #819
(died Sep. 2009)

Crane #824
(#24-08)

Crane #826
(died April 8, 2009)

Crane #827 (#27-08)
(died Jan., '12)

Crane #828 (#28-08)

Crane #829 (#29-08)

Crane #830
(#30-08)
(died Feb., 2012)

Removed before migration: 811 and
Crane 810 (became DAR
#10-08

Learn to migrate by following older cranes in the flock

Group 2 chicks are also captive-born. They are released and follow older cranes south in a program called
Direct Autumn Release (DAR).

Crane #31-08
(died July 2011)

Crane #32-08
(died April 2009)

Crane #36-08
(presumed dead 2011)

Crane #37-08
(died April 2009)

Crane #38-08

Died after release but before migration:

Crane #35-08

Photos John Cullum, ICF

Moved from Ultralight Class to Direct Autumn Release

Crane #10-08
(Presumed dead May 2009)

Learn to migrate by following their parents

Group 3 chicks are wild-born. Their parents raise them and teach them to migrate. This is the natural way cranes learn to migrate. One day, the flock will be large enough for wild-born parents to take over. Then human-assisted migration will no longer be needed. Scientists hope to reach their goal of 25 breeding pairs from 125 birds in Wisconsin by 2020.