Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership

Mid- April 2009 Project Update

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April 2009 Population Status

As of mid-April 2009 there are approximately 82 birds in the Eastern Migratory Whooping Crane population, consisting of 48 males and 34 females. The most recent known locations of all birds are shown in the map below. Most of the birds have completed the northward migration, including 12 potential breeding pairs. All of the breeding pairs have established territories, most of which are located on Necedah NWR. As of April 15, seven pairs are incubating eggs on nests at the Necedah NWR in Juneau County, and one pair is on a nest in Wood County, Wisconsin.

Map that shows whooping crane locations as of mid-April 2009.

Spring Migration

The first apparent spring migration departures occurred in late February, and the first bird to arrive in Wisconsin was confirmed on March 8. As of April 15, at least 55 birds were back in Wisconsin, and no more than 4 were thought to remain in Florida. Some additional movements are expected in the weeks ahead, and we ask you to quickly pass on any sightings you receive. We encourage everyone to use our reporting web site: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/whoopingcrane/sightings/sightingform.cfm

Migration of 2008 Ultralight Cohort

The14 young cranes led to Florida behind ultralight aircraft all survived the winter, split between St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and Chassahowitzka NWR. All of these birds came through the winter in good condition, thanks to the diligent care of the winter management team. All have now departed for Wisconsin, and their migration paths are shown in Map 2 (below).

The first of these birds to leave Florida were 4 of the 7 Chassahowitzka NWR birds which left the pen on March 24. Based upon data from a satellite transmitter on one of these birds, this group made it to Kentucky by the evening of March 25th, and to Illinois by March 29. One of the birds became separated from the group somewhere between Alabama and Illinois, and its current whereabouts remains unknown. The other 3 birds have gradually moved northward, and as of April 14 are in far northern Illinois in McHenry County.

The 7 birds wintering at the St. Marks NWR pen departed on March 30. According to satellite data from the transmitter on one of the birds, they were in Alabama on the 31st, and in Kentucky by April 2. As of April 14, five of these birds were in La Salle County, Illinois, about 80 miles southwest of Chicago. A sixth bird in Illinois suffered severe multiple leg fractures, and despite the best efforts of veterinarians at the University of Illinois, died of complications following surgery. The 7th bird became separated from the group, and was last reported by herself in Iowa.

The remaining 3 birds at Chassahowitzka departed on Saturday April 4, and as of April 15 were near Albany, Georgia.

2008 Direct Autumn Release (DAR) Cohort

Of the surviving birds released using the DAR technique this year, all continued to associate with older whooping cranes throughout the winter. The four birds that spent much of the winter in Tennessee successfully migrated back to Wisconsin, arriving at Necedah by March 22. This group of birds subsequently moved to Columbia County, Wisconsin, where they remained through at least April 4. On April 3, one of these birds was found dead adjacent to an area road, possibly the victim of collision with a utility line. The remaining DAR bird that spent the winter in Florida has not been seen alive since January 26, and mortality is suspected.

Aransas-Wood Buffalo Wild Flock

The majority of whooping cranes in the Aransas-Wood Buffalo flock have already departed for their breeding grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories and Alberta, Canada. Over the course of the winter, the flock declined from a peak count of 270, including 38 juveniles, to the most recent estimate of 247. Mortalities included 7 adults and 16 chicks, or 8.5% of the peak flock number. This is the highest level of winter mortality ever recorded for this population, and is largely the result of the extreme drought conditions that currently grip southern Texas. This does not bode well for reproduction in 2009, as food abundance on the wintering grounds has been shown to be highly correlated with reproductive success of the following nesting season.

Reporting Sightings

Please forward any sightings you receive to us through the whooping crane reporting web site we have established for that purpose: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/whoopingcrane/sightings/sightingform.cfm
The link above provides a public reporting form on a site maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). When a report is submitted, the information goes simultaneously to multiple partners including the biologists who are tracking the birds, FWS, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, International Crane Foundation, and Operation Migration.

This update is a product of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. To access our previous project updates and additional information on the project visit our web site at http://www.bringbackthecranes.org/.

Map of 2009 spring migration for whooping cranes tracked by satellite.

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Last updated: April 20, 2009