Whooping Crane Nesting Summary 2011

Whooping Crane

Eastern Flock Whooping Crane Nesting Summary
Spring 2011
(Source: WCEP)

Summary: Four eggs hatched but no chicks survived to fledge.

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PAIR ESTIMATED DATE INCUBATION BEGAN NEST STATUS

#211 and #830
New Pair in 2011 (Male #211 had 7 previous nests with another mate) April 16
Failed May 12; 1 fertile egg with dead embryo was collected.

#212 and 419
April 13 Failed May 15, with 2 infertile eggs collected after overlong (32 days) incubation.

#213 and 218
April 12 Failed Apr. 30; Pair was observed feeding off refuge and no longer sitting by May 2.

#216 and #716
First-time nesters April 7 Failed April 24. One egg collected and taken to ICF for incubation if viable.

#303 and #317
April 8 Chick W2-11 hatched May 9 and survived until May 22nd when a tornado passed over the nesting territory and the chick disappeared.

#307 and #726
First-time nesters April 10 Nest failed May 4; 2 fertile, viable eggs were collected.

#309 and 403
April 16 Two viable eggs were collected from this nest April 30 to be incubated in captivity.

Re-nested May 18 Nest failed May 28. Two eggs were rescued and transferred to the International Crane Foundation.

#310 and W1-06

April 8 On May 9 it was announced that one chick (W1-11) had hatched! No further sightings The chick was likely taken by a predator May 10.

#311 and #312
April 14 Nest failed May 8; no eggs salvaged.

#509 and #313

April 12 Chick W3-11 hatched May 10 and survived the May 22 tornado but disappeared on June 10.

#401 and 508
April 9 Nest failed May 7; 2 eggs were destroyed before they could be collected.

402 and 46-07 (DAR)
April 16 Chick W4-11 hatched on May 16. The chick survived until approximately end of June. Its remains were discovered July 1 and sent for necropsy.

#31-08 (DAR) and 27-05 (DAR) April 18 Failed; One fertile egg was collected on April 29.

#505 and 415 April 10 Nest failed April 29. Two fertile, viable eggs collected. Both hatched in captivity and one egg became chick #9-11 in the Class of 2011. The other became a member of the new nonmigratory Louisiana flock.

#703 and #38-08 (DAR) First-time nesters April 12 Nest failed May 4.

707 and 39-07 (DAR)
First-time nesters April 25 Nest failed May 4; 2 eggs collected, 1 fertile but not viable, and 1 infertile.

#905 and #733 May 4 On June 12 , after 40 days of incubation (10 days longer than normal), a single egg was collected from their nest. This was the first time that a 2-year-old female in this flock laid an egg.

524 and 42-07 (DAR)
First-time nesters April 24 Nest failed April 29. Two fertile, viable eggs collected.

#416 and #904

Observed nest building, but no results

#408 and #519
April 25 Nest failed approx. May 9.

#512 and #722
April 20: 1st nest First nest failed April 23. Eggshell fragments found at nest site on May 2.

May 18: 2nd nest Re-nest failed May 22nd when a tornado passed through that evening. The nest was found abandoned the next day with no eggs or shell fragments found.

#814 and 824 Observed nest building, but no results

#827 and #908 Observed nest building, but no results

Reproduction Milestones, Eastern Flock:

First nest established: 2005
First young hatched: 2006 (to pair 11-02/17-02)
First chick reared to fledging: 2006 (pair 11-02/17-02)

Photo: Matt Strausser, ICF

Journal Question

It takes 30 days to incubate the eggs. Pick at least one pair to calculate a hatch date and see what happens! (If a nest has the usual two eggs, the second egg usually hatches a day or two after the first.)