Whooping Cranes from the 2001 and 2002 Reintroductions

October 2003 Update

Provided by the International Crane Foundation:
R. P. Urbanek, L. E. A. Fondow, and C. D. Satyshur

Summary of the whereabouts of the 20 whooping cranes from the 2001 and 2002 reintroductions:

· Fifteen of the cranes are in or near Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, which is the Core Reintroduction Area.

· One whooping crane is at Horicon NWR

· Three cranes are near the Mississippi River in Iowa and Illinois

· The whereabouts of one whooping crane is unknown

Activities of 2001 cranes

No. 1—Remained at Necedah NWR, usually roosted with two adult sandhills and their chick, and sometimes with larger numbers of sandhills.
No. 2—Returned to Necedah NWR October 23
No. 5—Roosting in central Wisconsin wetlands with Nos. 4 and 18 from 2002
No. 6—Has not been found since leaving Necedah NWR on May 10. At that timehis transmitter had a broken antenna, so its operation is at best poor.
No. 7—Last reported Oct. 11 at Horicon NWR. Vegetation and lack of functional transmitter make it hard to track her.

Activities of 2002 cranes:

No. 1—Remained with a staging flock of about 200 sandhill cranes in central Wisconsin
No. 2—Associated with sandhills in central Wisconsin along with No. 13.
No. 3—Remained in northeastern Iowa with No. 15
No. 4—Roosted in central Wisconsin wetlands along with No. 5 from 2001 and No. 18 from 2002.
No. 5—At Necedah NWR with Nos. 8, 16 and 17 from 2002 and No. 2 from 2001
No. 8—Remained at Necedah with Nos. 5, 16, 17 and No. 2 from 2001.
No. 9—Foraged with sandhill cranes in central Wisconsin on October 19; on the 20th she moved to a cranberry reservoir with a small number of sandhills, and then returned to roost on Necedah NWR.

No. 11—Roosting on Necedah NWR with No. 12
No. 12—Roosting on Necedah NWR with No. 11
No. 13—Associated with sandhills in central Wisconsin along with No. 2
No. 14—Remained on Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in northwest Illinois
No. 15—Remained in northeastern Iowa with No. 3
No. 16—Remained at Necedah with Nos. 5, 8, 17 and No. 2 from 2001.
No. 17—Remained at Necedah with Nos. 5, 8, 16 and No. 2 from 2002
No. 18—Roosted in central Wisconsin wetlands with No. 5 from 2001 and No. 4 from 2002

For information on the 2003 ultralight-led fall migration, go to:
2003 Fall Migration Map

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