Eastern
Flock Whooping Crane Nesting Summary
Spring 2016
(Source: WCEP)
Back to Annual Nesting Summary
Updated Sep. 6, 2016
Summary: The 2016 breeding season had a total of 46 nests by 29 different pairs. Twenty-three chicks hatched from 16 nests that didn't fail. Only one chick was still alive by September, but did not survive to migrate with its parents.
| PAIR (F/M) | HATCH |
CHICK NUMBER (May change) |
| 13-03 and 9-05 | 2 chicks May 1-2 |
W1-16, W2-16 (neither survived into July) |
| 12-11 and 5-11 | 1 chick May 5 |
W4-16 died by 6/1 |
| 59-13DAR (Latka) & 1-11 | 1 chick seen 5/17 | W6-16 died by 6/17 |
| 4-11 and 12-02 (but male died in early June) | 1 chick May 3 | W3-16, seen 7/15 but disappeared shortly after. |
| 7-11 and 3-11 | 1 chick seen 5/12 | W5-16, died by 7/1 |
| 9-03 and 3-04 | 2 chicks, May 28, 30 | W13-16 and W14-16, neither still alive |
| 15-11DAR and 6-11 | renest seen May 5 | nest failed |
| 39-07DAR and 7-07 | nest failed | |
| 12-03 and 29-09 | 2 chicks May 24, 25 | W7-16 survived to fledge but died before migration; W8-16 died. |
| 8-05 and 1-04 | 2 chicks May 26, 28 | W9-16 died in August. W10 died in June. |
| 36-09 and 18-03 | 1 chick May 28 | W15-16, didn't survive summer |
| 23-10DAR and 18-09 | 1 chick June 7 | last seen 6/24 |
| 15-09 and 11-02 | 2 chicks May 27, 29 | W12-16, not seen 7/15 W11-16 predated 6/17 |
| 24-08 and 14-08 | nest failed | |
| 25-09 and 2-04 | 1 chick June 5 | W19-16, died late July |
| W1-06 and 1-10 | 2 chicks 1st seen June 2 and 5 | W16-16 and W-17-16, neither lived to fledge |
| 26-09 and 27-06DAR | 1 chick June 10 | W22-16, didn't survive summer |
| 34-09DAR and 4-08 | 1 chick June 7 | W21-16, didn't survive summer |
| 16-07 and 16-02 | 1 chick June 5 | W18-16, didn't survive summer |
| 10-10 and 41-09DAR | nest failed | |
| 17-07 and 10-09 | nesting, 2 eggs | nest failed |
| 42-09DAR and 24-09 | 1 chick June 28 | W23-16, didn't survive summer |
| 18-09 and 23-10 | 1 chick June 5 | W20-16, seen 7/5, gone 7/6 |
Reproduction Milestones, Eastern Flock:
2005 First Nest
2006 First Young Hatched (to pair #11-02 and #17-02 )
2006 First Young Fledged
2015 First documented hybrid chick in the Eastern Migratory Population. Named "Whoopsie," the chick was hatched to male Whooping Crane 16-11DAR and a female Sandhill Crane. The chick was later captured and will live its life off exhibit in ICF’s Crane City. The husbandry staff at ICF will provide excellent care for the young crane as it continues to mature, and they hope to pair it with an existing bird in their collection for companionship, but they will do what they can to ensure that male whooper #16-11DAR mates with only female Whooping cranes from now on. His genes and parenthood are valuable to the new EMP.
Wild Pairs That Fledged Chicks to Date:
- 2006: 1 chick by pair 11-02/17-02, Necedah NWR
- 2010: 1 chick by pair 3-04/9-03, Necedah NWR; 1 chick by pair 12-02/19-04, Wood County, WI
- 2012: 1 chick by pair 12-02/19-04, Wood County, WI; 1 chick by pair 13-03/9-05, Necedah NWR
- 2013: 1 chick by pair 9/03/3-04, Necedah NWR
- 2014: 1 chick by pair 12-02/19-04, Wood County, WI
- 2015: 1 chick each by pairs 10-09/17-07, 25-09/2-04, and 9-03/3-04
- 2016: 1 chick by pair 12-03/29-09
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