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2002 Migration North

May 3, 2002

Photo of whooping crane #7 in a marsh pool with canada geese at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. Photo taken at dusk on Friday, May 3, courtesy Richard Urbanek, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist and WCEP crane tracker.

Whooping crane number 7 at one of the marsh pools on the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. WCEP photo taken at dusk Friday, May 3, by Richard Urbanek, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

We received word late this evening that the loner whooping crane, #7, was back on the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Richard Urbanek reported that while he was looking for some of the sandhill cranes from earlier studies, he was startled when #7 flushed from its location on the training area near the pens where the whooping cranes trained for migration last year. Urbanek tracked the whooping crane to a marsh pool where it was among other birds, including Canada geese.Rich King, Necedah NWR, had reported earlier in the day the bird was still in south-central Wisconsin. Apparently she changed her mind later and decided it was time to return the refuge.With whooping crane #7's return, the 2001/2002 migration is complete.

All five birds are back in central Wisconsin where they will continue to be monitored by biologists with the Refuge, the International Crane Foundation and Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources, as well as volunteers.WCEP partner Operation Migration Inc. has a great update on what the birds have been up to during the past few day, as well as how things are progressing with the "Class of 2002" whooper chicks at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland.

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Last updated: April 15, 2009