Temporary legband: Light Blue

Personality and Training:

Chick #8 hatched at Maryland's Patuxent WRC from an egg removed from the first nest of #3-04 and #9-03 in Wisconsin. She is a calm bird, good follower and very cute. She is happy and joyful on walks. She skips along with her wings spread—although she can slow the group down and be a forager (along with #2). Here she's enjoying a moment of calm.

Female #8-15 has a full sibling: W18-15 hatched from the second nest of the same parents that laid the egg with #8-15.

July 2 was arrival day in Wisconsin for the six young cinnamon- colored Whooping cranes. None of the birds showed any signs of stress from their airplane trip-in-a-box from Maryland where they hatched. They happily explored their new surroundings for "Flight School."

Here's Crane #8 on July 6, showing off the developing feathers that will soon make her a good flier!

By the end of July, the colts are strong enough to fly close to the surface but not yet able to climb. "So our daily exercising consists of a high speed taxi down the length of the runway while the birds fly beside us," explains pilot Joe Duff.

"We also have early morning visitors," tells Joe. "As soon as they hear the engine approaching. Sub-adult Whooping cranes #4-12 and #3-14 fly in to see what is going on."

By mid August all six young Whooping Cranes were airborne! By the third week in August they were flying for over 20 minutes at a time, doing really well as a group. To keep them busy during their non-flying hours in the large pen, the team put chunks of watermelon in the pen for the young birds to peck at and play with. They loved it!

The expected departure didn't happen Sep. 20th because crops still covered the fields where the first stopover sites would be! The cranes continued to train on good-weather days, performing well— as usual.

Delays: The departure didn't happen on September 20th because crops still covered the fields where the first stopover sites would be! The cranes continued to train on good-weather days, performing well—as usual. They were fogged in on the new target date of September 26th and again Sep. 27.

In the meantime, the team works hard to think of fun things to keep the cranes from being too bored. They have fun attacking a sunflower for the seeds to eat!

Sep. 30: Migration Begins! Pilots call these birds the Super Six because they are such great followers—not a rebel or maverick among them this year. They easily flew the five miles to the first stopover and landed right next to the trike. They all stood at attention, heads up, eyes wide and moved closer to the aircraft as the only thing familiar in a strange new environment. The plane taxied close to the travel pen and the birds stopped chasing grasshoppers to obediently go inside. Crane #11 was first in, crossing the threshold as if it were everyday stuff. Crane #2 was next and then they all came in. The Journey South is underway!

Nov. 2: Exercise day on November 2 was a welcome relief after days of being penned due to un-flyable weather.

Nov. 7: The next possible day to fly didn't come until November 7, Day 39. None of the birds except #2 would cooperate with the pilots. Crane #8 and the four others who wouldn't stay with the plane were boxed and driven the 57 miles to LaSalle County, Illinois as #2-15 completed the flight alone.

Nov. 8: Today #8 and four of the others (#1 was boxed) flew the 55 miles to Livingston County, Illinois.

February 6, 2016: The migration came to a strange ending on Feb. 6, 2016. Instead of being guided the final 24 miles to their new winter home by aircraft, the Class of 2015 arrived in crates. With no decent weather ahead and not wanting to delay the migration any longer, the team felt it was the best decision. This photo journey lets you go along on the final day. They will be supervised from a distance by pilot Brooke Pennypacker until they take off on their first unaided migration north this spring.

Project leader Joe Duff assures us that being trucked this short distance will not hamper their ability to navigate back to Wisconsin in the spring. The Class of 2015 is the final cohort to be taught their migration route by costumed pilots in tiny yellow airplanes.

Crane #8 was banded with her lifetime colors and tracking transmitter on Feb. 9. She is one of three cranes wearing the new GSM tracking units.

February 14 was FREEDOM DAY, when their costumed caretakers pulled open the gates to the top-netted pen and released the birds to freedom.

The birds can now come and go from the enclosure, learning to forage for their own food as they become wild and free.

Spring 2017: Female #8-15 spent all of March in Sumter Co, AL. It appears she began migrating north on April 2nd. She returned to Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, alone.