Class of 2019

Class of 2019

This year, the only reintroduction technique used was the Parent-Reared release method.
About this Year’s Whooping crane chicks:
Two of this year’s chicks were captive-born and raised by either their foster parents or biological parents in a captive-breeding facility with little human contact. They were raised at the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin and so far one has been released near wild Whooping Crane pairs in hopes that they would learn to fly and migrate with their adoptive parents.
 
2019 also had three wild-hatched chicks fledge! 19 chicks hatched, of which three grew to fledging.
Parent-reared Whooping Cranes
79-19 80-19
   
Wild-hatched Whooping Cranes
W1-19 W14-19 W19-19
     
79-19 (Balerion)
Sex: Female 
Hatch Date: June 1, 2019

Fall 2019: 79-19 was released in Green Lake County, Wisconsin near adults 67-15 and 3-17 to help her learn how to be a whooping crane. She continued associating with them. By mid-November she arrived in Morgan County, Alabama. She remained here for the winter. 

Spring 2020:79-19 started migrating north in February. She spent some time in Fayette County, Illinois. By mid-April she arrived at Horicon Marsh in Dodge County, Wisconsin. She has been associating with male 74-18 and his father 16-11. 

80-19 (Arya)
Sex: Female 
Hatch Date: June 6, 2019
 
Summer 2019: 80-19 hatched from an egg salvaged from 7-11/3-11’s nest when 3-11 was found dead at the nest. 

Fall 2019: After recovering from a wing injury in captivity, 80-19 was released at Goose Pond at the beginning of November. She remained here for the winter, learning from other whooping cranes in the area. 

Photo: Hillary Thompson

Spring 2020:80-19 began her spring migration in March and arrived at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge at the end of March. It was a short stay as she arrived back in Indiana by mid-April. She was last seen in Illinois as of the end of May. 

Photo: John Pohl

W1-19
Sex: Female 
Hatch Date: May 3, 2019
Spring 2019: W1-19 hatched to experienced parents 5-11 and 12-11 in Juneau County, Wisconsin in the beginning of May. At the end of June, staff from the International Crane Foundation captured the chick, gave her leg bands and a radio transmitter for identification, and drew blood for testing, which revealed that she is a girl! She fledged in July.  
Photo: Hillary Thompson
Parents 5-11 and 12-11 with chick W1-19. Photo: Tom Jessen
Fall 2019: W1-19 migrated south with her parents are the beginning of November and within a week arrived in Gibson County, Indiana. They remained there for winter. 

W1-19 and 12-11. Photo: Hillary Thompson

Spring 2020: W1-19 was not seen for much of the winter. In March she was spotted in Ford County, Illinois. By the first of July, she was spotted again in Juneau County, Wisconsin, at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. Since then she has started associating with male W10-18. Hopefully they will become a new pair! 

W14-19
Sex: Female 
Hatch Date: June 2019 
Summer 2019: W14-19 hatched to pair 12-03 and 12-05 at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in early June. In late July, a team made of staff from the International Crane Foundation and Necedah NWR captured the chick, placed bands and a radio transmitter on her leg for tracking, and drew blood as part of a health check. She fledged in late August.  
Fall 2019: W14-19 migrated south with her parents 12-03 and 12-05 to Knox County, Indiana in mid-November.  They remained here for the winter. 
Spring 2020: W14-19 was first observed in mid-April migrating north. She made a stop in Fulton County, Illinois with male 1-17. The two continued their journey and stopped in Tazewell County, Illinois. Eventually, the two made it to Portage County, Wisconsin and have remained there.  
W19-19
Sex:  Unknown
Hatch Date: June 22, 2019 

Summer 2019: W19-19 hatched at Necedah NWR to pair 9-05 and 13-03. This was a special hatch, as the chick came from 9-05 and 13-03’s third nest attempt of the season- only the second pair to do this in the EMP! He/she fledged in September.  

Fall 2019: After many attempted captures, W19-19 eluded us every time and still roams bandless. Family 13-03, 9-05, and W19-19 migrated together and were first seen at their wintering location of Goose Pond at the beginning of November. They also made a stop in Winnebago County, Illinois on the way. 

Photo: Bev Paulan

Photo: USFWS

Spring 2020:  W19-19’s first spring sighting was in May at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge and seems to be associating with female W3-18 and occasionally male W5-18. Hopefully W19-19 will pair up with W3-18 and we will try again this year to capture it! 

 

 

 

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