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Solving the Current Challenge:  Working for Successful Whooping Crane Nesting in Wisconsin

The number of young hatched and successfully raised by whooping crane pairs in the reintroduced population is below expectation with most pairs abandoning first nests after egg laying. Here is a review of nest productivity since the first reintroduced whooping pairs began nesting in Wisconsin, the studies that the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership initiated, and the study results to date.

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Wild Whooping Crane Chick Hatches in Central Wisconsin

The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) is celebrating another success in its efforts to reintroduce a wild migratory whooping crane population in eastern North America. A whooping crane chick hatched yesterday in Wood County, Wis.

The chick, #W1-12 (W = wild hatched), is the offspring of whooping crane pair #12-02 and #19-04 from the ultralight-led crane Classes of 2002 and 2004.

The pair has laid eggs every year since 2008, but until this year, their eggs have always been infertile. The pair proved to be good parents in 2010, when their infertile egg was replaced with a captive-produced whooping crane egg, and the pair hatched and raised the chick to fledging.

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Whooping Crane Nest Productivity Studies

Black Fly Suppression Study – Bti Treatments

To test the hypothesis that black flies may be partly responsible for whooping crane nest abandonments, WCEP’s Research and Science Team recommended a 2-year black fly suppression study.

Treating black fly breeding (larval) sites with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), a biological control agent, is the most common, environmentally safe way to reduce adult black fly numbers. 

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Spring Migration is Underway for the “Class of 2011” Whooping Cranes

April 17, 2012

The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), an international coalition of public and private groups that is reintroducing whooping cranes to eastern North America, is pleased to report that last year’s “Class of 2011” whooping cranes have all begun their spring migration north. 

On April 12, nine whooping cranes that were led south by WCEP partner Operation Migration’s ultralight aircraft, began their unassisted migration from Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Decatur, Ala. The juvenile cranes are currently located in Wayne County, Ill.  A 10th whooping crane, which broke off from the ultralight-led migration last fall, has already completed her migration back to Wisconsin.   

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Monthly Update for March

Feb. 20 to March 20

The map shows the last known location of the Whooping Cranes in the Eastern Migratory Population. This map does not include birds that have moved to an unknown location from a previous location or that have not been reported for over one month.

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Please Keep A Distance from Cranes

April 10, 2012

Public reports of whooping crane sightings are an extremely valuable tool for monitoring crane locations, and we encourage people to continue to monitor and report such sightings. While we certainly don’t want to discourage people from observing whooping cranes in the wild and reporting their sightings, we do want to remind people that for the benefit of the cranes, it is best if people keep their distance.

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Operation Migration Granted FAA Exemption

April 4, 2012

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted WCEP partner Operation Migration (OM) an exemption allowing them to fly and continue to lead whooping cranes on migration.

The FAA is requiring OM to meet two criteria to comply with safety regulations:

 

• Pilots must upgrade from Light Sport Aircraft certificates to private licenses. The FAA has allowed OM until the beginning of this year’s fall migration to comply.

• Change in aircraft -- OM currently flies with Experimental Light Sport Aircraft, and they will need to switch over to Special Light Sport Aircraft. The FAA has granted OM until 2013 to meet this requirement.

 

For detailed information on the exemption, please visit OM’s March 31 Field Journal website posting: http://www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html.

Spring 2012 Nesting Update

March 29, 2012

The first Whooping Crane nest of the season is confirmed! Bev Paulan of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conducted an aerial tracking flight on Monday (March 26) and located pair #3-07 and #38-08 (a Direct Autumn Release bird) incubating on the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. Many other pairs have been observed nest building, but no other nests have yet been confirmed.

Ultralight-led Whooping Cranes Released at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge

February 13, 2012

The nine whooping cranes led by ultralight aircraft have been released from a holding pen at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge after Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership biologists attached marking bands and transmitters to help track their movements.

“So far the cranes are foraging and hanging around close to the pen and moving into the flooded fields,” said Bill Gates, Biologist at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, near Decatur and Huntsville, Ala.  “We plan to leave the gate to the pen open, so if they need to come back here they can.”

Gates said most of the cranes came out of the pen this morning and were foraging nearby.

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2012 WCEP News and Feature Stories

2011 WCEP News and Feature Stories