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Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership
Year in Review
2008
Flight training at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Operation Migration |
prepared by
Louise Clemency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Joe Duff, Operation Migration
The Summary is below - Go here for the complete 38-page report (2.13MB PDF)
2008 gave us cause to celebrate our partners – both longtime and new.
Through the efforts of all the hardworking folks out on the ground as well as those toiling behind the scenes and supporting the project with donations, our eastern migratory Whooping crane flock continues to grow. As of mid-February 2009 there are 87 wild birds in the eastern migratory Whooping crane population, consisting of 52 males and 35 females.
As we look back on the challenges and successes of this year, what stands out is how our partners and supporters really come through when we need them most.
Since 2001, the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), an international coalition of public and private agencies and organizations, has been working to establish a self-sustaining migratory population of whooping cranes in eastern North America.
Whooping cranes (commonly known as “whoopers” for their loud and penetrating unison calls) were on the verge of extinction due to hunting and habitat loss in the 1940s, and were listed as federally endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1967.
The recovery goal for this project is a self-sustaining population of at least 125 adult whooping cranes and 25 nesting pairs. Successful establishment of this breeding population will help meet one of the primary recovery objectives identified in the International Recovery Plan. |
We ended our Winter meeting in January of 2008 with the decision to start splitting the ultralight cohort into two groups that would winter at separate locations in Florida. That decision kicked off a tremendous effort to build the kind of outstanding partner support that we have long relied on around the Chassahowitzka NWR at St. Marks NWR. We laid the groundwork for our partnership with the St. Marks NWR as preparations began to build a second release site at the refuge.
Back on the Wisconsin breeding grounds this summer, a much-needed drawdown of the main pool at Necedah National Wildlife Reruge meant that the ultralight training had to be shifted to a new site on the refuge. Necedah NWR and Operation Migration staff worked hard to make the new pen site suitable for the young whooping cranes, but we realized that the blind previously used by visitors to view the training process was too far from the new site to be useful. As always seems to happen when WCEP has a need, a new partner came through with the perfect solution. Volk Air Force Base helped set up a large camouflage tent outside the new ultralight training site. Thanks to our partners in the Air Force, once again visitors to the refuge were able to watch the young whooping cranes learn to fly alongside the ultralight aircraft, unaware of the human observers hidden in the tent.
The establishment of a new migration route for Operation Migration also resulted in new partnerships. As we explained last year, the turbulent air currents that the ultralight pilots faced trying to cross the Cumberland Ridge posed risks to both pilots and young cranes. This year, OM followed a new route, and was welcomed into the homes and schools of a whole new set of supporters, showing once again how this project brings out the best in so many people.
In Florida, we welcomed another National Wildlife Refuge and community to the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, as half of the ultralight birds were brought to St. Marks NWR south of Tallahassee to spend the winter at their newly constructed pensite. The pensite was built through the hard work of refuge staff and local supporters. School kids in Tallahassee became pen pals with school kids in Necedah, sharing the discovery of the migratory species that now visits both their hometowns.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District again hosted our birds at the Halpata site where the cranes stopped before making the final flight to Chassahowitzka. Staff and supporters there help prepare the site for the young cranes through mowing, prescribed burning and pen construction.
Completing the final leg of their assisted migrations to their wintering sites, the young ultralight-led birds were greeted by crowds of old friends at the Dunnellon County Airport near Chassahowitzka and by new friends in the Tallahassee area at the town of St. Marks. Thousands gathered in both locations to see the young cranes and their valiant ultralight pilot companions fly overhead. Our heartfelt thanks to all our partners!
Last updated:
June 3, 2009