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WHOOPING
CRANE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP First Wild Whooping Cranes of 2003 Reach Florida after Unassisted MigrationNovember 17, 2003 Contact: Three of 20 previously reintroduced whooping cranes have successfully completed an unassisted fall migration, reaching Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge on Florida’s central west coast over the weekend. The three birds are part of an effort by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership to establish a wild migrating flock of whooping cranes in eastern North America. Cranes 3 and 15 from the ultralight-led migration “Class of 2002” left Dougherty County, Georgia, at 9:45 a.m. Saturday and crossed into Florida at 1:20 p.m. They landed to roost in Marion County, Florida, at 5:30 p.m. They arrived at their wintering site at Chassahowitzka NWR at 10:25 a.m. Sunday, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and International Crane Foundation biologists, who are tracking the wild cranes as they migrate. These two birds started south from Allamakee County, Iowa, on November 8 and completed their return to Florida in just seven days. This is the first time they have made this southward migration unaided by aircraft. Crane number 1 from the “Class of 2001” left his roost site in Levy County, Florida, at 10:32 a.m. Sunday and flew with sandhill cranes to Alachua County. After separating from the sandhills, he flew to Pasco County, where he landed to roost at 4:04 p.m. This location is near where he spent last winter. Updates on the progress of all of the wild whooping cranes, as well as this year’s ultralight-led migration, are available on the Web at http://www.bringbackthecranes.org. The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership is a consortium of non-profit organizations and government agencies. Founding members are the International Crane Foundation, Operation Migration Inc., Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and National Wildlife Health Center, International Whooping Crane Recovery Team, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. Many other flyway states, provinces, private individuals and conservation groups have joined forces with and support the partnership by donating resources, funding and personnel. More than 60 percent of the estimated $1.8 million budget comes from private sources in the form of grants, donations and corporate sponsors. - WCEP - For more information on the project, its partners, and how you can help, visit the WCEP website at http://www.bringbackthecranes.org Educators and students are encouraged to visit Journey North for information and curriculum materials related to the whooping crane project: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/fall2003/crane/index.html WCEP informational materials will be available at all Wild Birds Unlimited affiliates. To find the location nearest you please visit: http://www.wbu.com |
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