Photo Kari Amick, ICF	Meet the Class of 2010 Whooping Crane Chicks! Hatch-year 2010 of the Eastern Flock
	Crane # 27-10 DAR
	Date Hatched	June 18, 2010
	Gender	Female
	Egg Source
	Permanent Leg Bands (Attached before first migration)	Left Leg Right Leg  PTT  VHF radio transmitter
	Read more about the raising and naming of the DAR chicks. *Scroll to bottom for most recent history.*

Personality as a Chick
"Feta" was this chick's baby name after hatching at ICF. By September 5 she was almost flying.

Jen says Feta is a little independent of the whole group, but she has a tendency to follow #25 (Queso). For a period of time, she was very sheepish. Now she has grown more confident in the group, thanks to a little extra attention from the costume.

The 11 DAR (Direct Autumn Release) Whooping Crane chicks were released October 25 on the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The young cranes learn the migration route from following older cranes. Biologists from ICF and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are tracking the released DAR cranes using radio telemetry, picking up radio signals emitted from leg transmitters on the birds.

By Nov. 6 the large group of nine DAR birds had been settling into a routine and feeding in cornfields just south of the refuge during the day, reported Eva. They are usually with older birds #506, #906 and 38-09 (DAR) and return to the refuge in the evening.

As they begin the migration south trackers will be monitoring the birds’ movements. Watch for news below!

Migration History

Fall 2010, First Migration: Many of the eastern flock began migration from Wisconsin on November 20, and so did Crane #27-10 DAR (along with 22-10 DAR and 25-10 DAR). These three young DAR birds left without adult supervision! How would they know where o go? Luckily, veteran migrators #313 (13-03) and #318 (18-03) caught up with the youngsters along the Mississippi River, and the group rejoined the migration corridor. On Nov. 24 they were in Greene County, Indiana, in the same area as one of the family groups from the flock. Young 27-10 (DAR) was then reported in Cherokee County, Alabama until at least January 26, along with crane pair #211/#830 and 19-10 (DAR) as well as 22-10 (DAR), 25-10 (DAR), and 37-09 (DAR). The group moved to Madison County, Alabama, where trackers found them on Feb. 4. They remained at least through Feb. 14.

Spring 2011: Left Madison County, Alabama sometime between Feb. 18-22 in a group with #211 and #830 and cranes 37-09 (DAR), 19-10 (DAR) and 25-10 (DAR). They were reported in Crawford County, IL on March 8-10 and Mar. 14. Minus the pair #211/830, the group was still there March 16 and completed migration to Necedah NWR by March 21.

Fall 2011: Wintered (with #14-11 DAR) near Weiss Lake (on the Georgia side mainly) in Floyd County.

Spring 2012: Crane #27-10 (DAR) and #918 were reported back on Necedah NWR March 11, migration complete!

Fall /Winter 2012-2013: Wintered in Green County, Indiana.

Spring 2013: If bands were reported correctly, Crane #27-10 (DAR) was among three adult whoopers reported March 26 in a reclaimed wetland area of an Illinois quarry. "They have been loafing and feeding in the same area of the wetland for at least the last 2 days," reported the observer. Their current location is 4 miles from the Livingston Co., IL stopover site of the ultralight-led migration south for male #6-09, one of these three birds. Perhaps he's the leader of this trio's journey north? All three completed migration to Necedah NWR.

Fall 2013: Crane #27-10 (DAR) began migration on November 12, likely with #6-09. She was reported in Greene County, Indiana, on November 20 where she and #6-09 remained through at least December 20. She was next reported with #6-09 and five other cranes in Rutherford County, TN on January 24, 2014. The group of seven moved south into Franklin County, TN by January 29 and apparently began migration north from this location.

Spring 2014: Female #27-10 (DAR) was confirmed on Necedah NWR on April 5. but she was no longer with male #6-09. She was last detected on the Necedah NWR, Juneau County, Wisconsin on 22 April. Her transmitter is likely nonfunctional.

Fall 2014: Missing. Crane #27-10 (DAR) hasn't been seen or heard from since April 22 in Wisconsin. Her tracking transmitter probably is nonfunctional and trackers suspect she had died and removed her in April 2015 from the population totals.

Back to "Meet the Flock 2010"