 Aerial photo: Richard van Heuvelen, Operation Migration Crane mother #309 with her two new babies, hatched May 30 and 31. One chick survived the summer: W1-10. |
Meet
the Class of 2010 Whooping Crane Chicks!
Hatch-year 2010 of the Eastern Flock |
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Crane # W1-10 |
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Date Hatched |
May 30 or 31, 2010 |
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Gender |
Female |
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Egg Source |
She was hatched in the wild to parents #309 and #403. |
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Permanent
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Notes from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin:
September 14, 2010: Wild chick W1-10 was captured and banded at the age of 107 (or 108) days. ICF tracker Eva took photos. Read Eva's story in this slideshow!
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W1-10 and her parents at Necedah NWR in mid November before migration. Photo Doug Pellerin |
September 30: Tracker Eva said W1-10 and her two parents (309 and 403) have been regularly leaving the refuge and flying up to 14 miles away from their territory to forage in fields. They are feeding, flying and fattening to get ready for migration!
Most of the adult Whooping Cranes left on migration November 23, 2010. Only nine remain on or near the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, including the family group with wild-hatched chick #W1-10.
Migration History
Fall 2010, First Migration: Led by her parents #309 and #403, chick W1-10 began migration November 25 or 26. The family group was last detected in Lawrence County, Illinois on December 3. The family migrated safely to the parents' previous wintering territory in Lafayette County, Florida. they were found there during an aerial survey on December 21. They showed up in Taylor County, Florida during a survey flight on January 13, 2011. Trackers tried a ground search of this location on February 9 but the area proved to be inaccessible by ground. The family was not detected on an aerial search of the area on March 11.
Spring 2011: W1-10 made her first migration north with her parents, arriving at Necedah NWR by March 21. She was observed with no. 21-10 (DAR) on April 4. She was seen on the northern pools on Necedah NWR on May 16. She moved and until May 24, W1-10 was mainly in the Mill Bluff area of Monroe County through at least 24 May 24. On June 2 she was detected on Sprague Pool on Necedah NWR, where she remained.
Fall 2011: This fall W1-10 found a different adult pair (#401 & #508) to hang out with and apparently she wintered with them. They did not winter in Illinois because they were only detected there once or twice and then moved on to an unknown location. Tracker Eva said #401 & #508 "have a habit of wintering in areas that we have trouble locating."
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Photo Eva Szyszkoski, ICF |
Spring 2012: Crane #W1-10, with pair #508 and #401, showed up in Douglas County, Ilinois on Feb. 28, reported ICF tracker Eva Szyszkoski. The three cranes stayed together as they migrated back to Necedah NWR where they showed up on March 14!
Fall 2012:
Spring 2013: Crane #W1-10 was reported back on Necedah NWR on March 23 with with #1-10, reported ICF's Eva Szyszkoski. They split and soon #W1-10 was with #17-10.
Fall 2013:#W1-10 was captured in mid September due to wounds on her left foot and her lower right leg. She was treated for approximately six weeks. She died in captivity on the night of November 2 from internal injuries from causes unknown.
Last updated: 11/04/13
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