Photo Richard Urbanek, ICF

Back With Her Own Species
DAR 46-07 was released at Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee, northeast of Chattanooga. Find her in the photo above! (HINT: She's a chick, so some feathers are still rust-colored.)

Thousands of sandhill cranes use this refuge as a stopover on migration and some even spend winter here. DAR 46-07 immediately joined flocks of sandhills and flew with them back and forth on the refuge. I was so happy that she finally was able to be with birds of her own type, even if they weren't’t Whooping Cranes (although 8 other Whooping Cranes here at Hiwassee at this time). Young 46-07’s quest for a friend has ended happily.