Whooping Crane Reintroduction
(Migratory Flock) Update

March 3- 9, 2002

Location: Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge (Citrus County in West-
Central Florida)

Protecting the cranes at night
Daily water levels measured at the dummy (in the pen) at dusk were 55, 22, 17 (mudflat), 17 (mudflat), 27, 26, and 28 inches from March 3 through 9, respectively. The birds demonstrated varied pre-roosting behavior, partially in response to these highly variable water levels. They roosted in water on four nights.

March 3: The pen, surrounding marsh, and islands were inundated. This was the second consecutive evening of extremely high tides. No. 2 was, however, in the pen at dusk. The others were on their flooded loafing area southeast of the pen. They walked to the northeast gate but would not come in due to deep water. These four birds apparently roosted near but outside the pen.

March 4: All five birds were in the pen at dusk. A caretaker entered the pool. The cranes followed a few minutes later and remained in water to roost.

March 5: Extremely low water levels in the area resulted in conversion of the pool within the pen to a mudflat. The birds were not in the pen. Radio signals indicated that they roosted in a system of tidal creeks, about 0.3 miles southsouthwest of the pen. This section was potentially wide enough to provide a safe roosting area.

March 6: Water was still extremely low with the pool in the pen reduced to a mudflat. Birds were in the pen at dusk. A caretaker walked into the pool. The cranes gave flight intention calls for several minutes, then flew out to roost in a pool about 0.15 miles east of the pen.

March 7: All birds were in the pen. A caretaker entered the pool. The birds followed, did some foraging, then walked back to shore and roosted on land.

March 8: All birds were in the pen. A caretaker entered the pool. The birds did not follow, began flight intention sounds and movements, and at 6:45p.m. flew south out of the pen. They returned in a few minutes and landed on theloafing spot southeast of the pen. The caretaker led them back into the pen where they remained on land to roost.

March 9: All birds were in the pen. Three birds entered water on their own as if to roost, but two others (nos. 1 and 2) flew out of the pen and landed on the loafing area. A caretaker led them back in, but then the other three birds walked out of the water. All birds apparently roosted on land.

Salinities
Salinity varied from 19 to 22 ppt during the period.

Predators and predation
Three traps were run continuously during the period, and all that was captured was one turkey vulture. On March 6 fresh bobcat scat was found on the boardwalk near the pen. The southwest trap was then moved to this location and reset, i.e., two traps were operating in the boardwalk area, but no cat was captured and no additional bobcat sign was noted during the period. It is possible that this wandering bobcat had been displaced by recent high water and subsequently returned to its previous home range. On the night that the bobcat was known to be in the area, the cranes were roosting in an area about 0.3 miles south-southwest of the pen

Some alligators and mosquitoes emerged from winter dormancy during the week.

Status of 2000 ultralight-led Sandhill cranes
Florida - At about noon on March 6, a flock of sandhill cranes migrating northbound passed just west of the whooping crane pen but elicited no significant response from the whoopers. Sandhill Crane #5 apparently migrated during the week. Her signal was no longer present near Inverness during this week's checks on March 8 and 9. This was the last project sandhill crane being monitored in Florida.

Jasper-Pulaski Wildlife Refuge, Indiana - Since the last report Jim Bergens detected the following:
March 1: Sandhill Crane #12 and Cohort 3 nos. 6 and 8
March 2: #'s 8 and 12 and Cohort 3 nos. 6 and 8
March 3: #'s 8 and 12
March 4: #'s 8, 11, and 12
March 5: # 8

No other signals were detected through March 8. A lot of rain could possibly have contributed to some birds roosting off the property. Cranes have been both departing and arriving among the several thousand present.

Update prepared from Weekly Field Report submitted by project biologists monitoring the birds at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge: Richard Urbanek, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and A. E. Lacy, International Crane Foundation.

Please see the International Crane Foundation's website for photos, video, and more information about the whooping cranes wintering in Florida.

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