Endangered Cranes Returned to Wisconsin after Summer Vacation in South Dakota

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 20, 2003

Media Contacts:
Rachel Levin; US Fish and Wildlife Service, 612-713-5311
Joan Garland; International Crane Foundation, 608-356-9462 ext. 142
Eileen Dowd Stukel; South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, 605-773-4229

Biologists from the International Crane Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in close cooperation with the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, have returned three endangered whooping cranes to central Wisconsin after the birds recently began roosting and foraging in wetlands in eastern South Dakota, following an exploratory flight that took them west of their intended summer home.

The wild cranes, all female, are part of a reintroduction project designed to return a migratory flock of this rare species to a portion of its former range in eastern North America. Led by ultralight aircraft flown by Operation Migration pilots, these three cranes and 13 others migrated last fall from Wisconsin's Necedah National Wildlife Refuge to Chassahowitzka NWR on the Gulf Coast of Florida. They returned to Wisconsin on their own this spring.

Most of the yearling cranes spent the summer in and around central Wisconsin. However, after returning to that area in April, the three females, known as cranes 3, 7 and 15 from the reintroduction "Class of 2002," headed west, eventually settling near the Coteau Prairie, in eastern South Dakota's Deuel County.

The cranes were picked up on August 17 and 18 by biologists from the International Crane Foundation and the Fish and Wildlife Service, in close cooperation with field staff from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, as well as the landowners on whose property the cranes had taken up residence.

Wandering is normal for yearling whooping cranes; however biologists don't want reintroduced eastern cranes to travel too far West where they might mix with the only other naturally occurring migratory flock of whooping cranes, which migrates between Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park and Aransas NWR on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Biologists did not initially retrieve the three young cranes after they were discovered in South Dakota because they wanted to learn whether the birds would return on their own to Wisconsin prior to fall migration. A mutual decision to retrieve the birds was made after they moved farther west, increasing the potential for them to mix with the Wood Buffalo-Aransas birds or with the midcontentent population of sandhill cranes that migrate through central and eastern South Dakota.

Biologists felt that though mixing between the two flocks of birds was unlikely, the three young cranes were too valuable to the reintroduction of an eastern migratory population to take a chance on mixing. South Dakota GFP's Division of Wildlife agreed to step in to facilitate the capture.

"South Dakota has been pleased to host these whoopers for the past few months, but it's time for them to return to where they need to be to continue the historical effort to successfully reintroduce these birds in the eastern U.S.," said George Vandel, assistant director of the Division of Wildlife for South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks.

"The Fish and Wildlife Service appreciates the hospitality of the state of South Dakota in hosting these birds for the past few months," said John Christian, assistant regional director for Migratory Birds and State Programs for the Fish and Wildlife Service's Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region. "We have had great cooperation from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, and we would like to thank them very much for their support and assistance. The whooping crane is a symbol of endangered wildlife conservation in North America, and its successful return to the Eastern United States will stimulate additional efforts to conserve wetlands for all birds."

Other cooperators in the relocation include the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership and the Windway Capital Corporation, which donated a plane and pilot to transport the cranes.

WCEP is a consortium of private organizations, government agencies and private donors working to reintroduce a migratory flock of whooping cranes back into eastern North America. The ultimate goal of the project is to reintroduce enough whooping cranes to the flyway to establish a self-sustaining flock containing at least 25 adult breeding pairs. More than 60 percent of the project's estimated $1.8 million per year budget comes from private sources in the form of grants, donations and corporate sponsors.

WCEP founding members are the International Crane Foundation, International Whooping Crane Recovery Team, Operation Migration Inc., National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U. S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and National Wildlife Health Center, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Many other flyway States, provinces, private individuals and conservation groups have joined forces with and support WCEP by donating resources, funding and personnel.

- 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 South for information and curriculum materials related to the whooping crane project: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/fall2002/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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