Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership

WHOOPING CRANE
EASTERN PARTNERSHIP

Non-profit organizations, individuals and government agencies joining forces to bring a migratory population of whooping cranes back to eastern North America

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News Release: Changes are hatching in the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership

Photo Courtesy of Michael Huebschen

Project Update: July 6, 2016

Photo by Jill Utrup; USFWS

WCEP 2015 Annual Report

Photo by Joel Trick; USFWS

Whooping crane adults and chick at International Crane Foundation. Photo taken 2007.

Project Update: June 1, 2016

Photo Courtesy of Jim/Creative Commons

March 2016 Project Update

Photo Courtesy of Ted Thousand; ICF

January 2016 Project Update

Photo Courtesy of Henry Glades Audubon Society

Individual Information for each whooping crane in the eastern flock.

Revised Nov. 11, 2015

In the PDF document, click on the hatch year to view more information about the individual whooping crane.

News Release: Changes are hatching in the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership

July 6, 2016

BARABOO, Wis. – Whooping Crane chicks have already started hatching at captive rearing centers across North America. This year, the captive-raised chicks to be released in Wisconsin will be doing things a little differently from their predecessors. The first thing Whooping Crane chicks will see when they hatch in captivity will be an adult Whooping Crane -- not a human caretaker in a white crane costume. It’s the first step on a new path to bring a self-sustaining migratory population of Whooping Cranes to the eastern United States.

July 2016 Project Update

Nesting season is complete for 2016. So far 23 chicks have hatched, and as of 1 July, 6 chicks are still alive. A huge thank-you to the staff of Operation Migration, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Natural Resources, and all of the volunteers who help us keep track of the cranes throughout the year. We appreciate your contribution to the recovery of the whooping crane eastern migratory population.

WCEP Public Service Announcement - Video

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2015 WCEP Annual Report

The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership's 2015 Annual Report is available!

June 2016 Project Update

Nesting season is well underway for 2016 with first nests already hatched and re-nests due to hatch very soon. The 2015 cohort has begun their wandering phase and has been moving around quite a bit this spring. A huge thank-you to the staff of Operation Migration, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Natural Resources, and all of the volunteers who help us keep track of the cranes throughout the year. We appreciate your contribution to the recovery of the whooping crane eastern migratory population.

March 2016 Project Update

The 2015 cohort of Ultralight birds has been banded and released at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Spring migration is well underway, with more sightings of birds returning to Wisconsin every day. A huge thank-you to the staff of Operation Migration, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Natural Resources, and all of the volunteers who help us keep track of the cranes on their wintering grounds and throughout their migration. We appreciate your contribution to the recovery of the whooping crane eastern migratory population.

January 2016 Project Update

The adult cranes have all arrived on their wintering grounds (see January Update Map), the Ultralight migration is still underway (for updates see Operation Migration’s Field Journal), and the Direct Autumn Release birds have all migrated from Horicon NWR (see DAR 2015 Movement Map). The current maximum population size is 99 birds (52 males, 45 females, 2 unknown). Many thanks to our crane trackers at ICF, as well as Heather Ray, Wisconsin DNR pilots Bev Paulan and Mike Callahan, and the volunteers and public all working to help us keep an eye on our birds wherever they may roam.