Whooping Crane Nesting Summary 2013

Whooping Crane

Eastern Flock Whooping Crane Nesting Summary
Spring 2013
(Source: WCEP)

Back to Annual Nesting Summary

PAIR ESTIMATED DATE INCUBATION BEGAN FINAL STATUS

#19-04 and #12-02 April 15 Failed May 5.

#13-03 and #9-05 April 16 Failed May 6.

#5-09 and #33-07
1st: April 2
Failed Apr. 7.

Re-nest: April 16 Failed May 6. Rescued eggs hatched as chicks #1-13 and #4-13 in the Class of 2013 aircraft-led migration.

#9-03 and 3-04
1st: April 16

Failed May 6. Rescued eggs hatched as chicks #2-13 and #5-13 in the Class of 2013 aircraft-led migration.

Late re-nest: May 31 W3-13 hatched June 30 and survived to fledge and migrate!

#24-08 and #14-08 April 18 Failed May 8. Rescued eggs hatched as chick #9-13 in the Class of 2013 aircraft-led migration.

#16-07 and #16-02 April 18 Failed May 5. Rescued eggs hatched as chicks #7-13 and #8-13 in the Class of 2013 aircraft-led migration.

#W1-06 and #10-03 April 19 Failed May 4.

#8-09 and #2-04 April 19 Failed May 4.
Later, this pair successfully adopted a young chick raised by adult whoopers this summer at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland and brought to Necedah NWR in September for release in the first year of a new experimental program to expand the flock.

#32-09 DAR and #41-09 DAR April 21 Failed May 5. A rescued egg hatched May 15th as #3-13 in the Class of 2013 for aircraft-led migration.

#26-07 and #11-02 April 23 Failed May 8.

#36-09 DAR and #18-03 April 23 Failed May 4.

#5-10 and #28-08 April 21 Successful! Hatched chicks #W1-13 and W2-13 but chicks did not survive to fledge.

#35-09 DAR and #6-09 Failed May 4.

#42-09 DAR and #24-09 1st: April 24
Failed May 7.

Re-nest: May 25 Failed June 5.

#15-09 and #11-09 April 25
Failed May 4.

#26-09 and #27-06 DAR April 27 Failed May 4.

#7-09 and #17-03 April 28

Failed May 5.

#18-02 and #13-02
April 28

Failed May 4.

#22-07 and #12-05 April 29 Failed May 5.

#39-07 DAR and #7-07 May 30 Failed after incubating five days beyond expected hatch date.

Summary: Twenty crane pairs initiated nests in spring 2013. Eighteen of the 20 failed nests were abandoned during a four-day period (May 4-8) that coincided with a mass emergence of black flies. Dense clouds of black flies were observed at the nests. Biting flies would make it impossible for the cranes to stay on the nests. Three chicks hatched in the wild but only one survived to fledge.

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.)