The Sandhill Crane Study
From spring through fall of 2000, sandhill crane chicks were taught to migrate from Wisconsin to Florida by following an ultralight aircraft. This was an experiment to test the theory that humans (disguised as cranes) could teach young cranes a migration route. The same techniques may be used to help reintroduce a migratory whooping crane flock to the eastern U.S.
Ultralight-led Sandhill Cranes Return to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (May 1, 2001)
Updates From the Migration Team (Oct. 3 - Nov. 13)
Map of the 2000 Migration Route
Facts About the Sandhill Crane Experiment
How do you teach cranes to migrate? It takes patience, time, and knowledge of crane behavior. Follow this link to read the protocol that was developed after several previous studies.