As many members of the Forum have shown interest in the recently concluded migration of the young whooping cranes, I have pulled together more information to give a more complete picture of the efforts being made and the progress achieved in the reintroduction of the whooping crane.
A major player in the effort is the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Their mission is the preservation of habitats and the establishment of breeding programs for all fifteen crane species. Here is their web site:
http://www.savingcranes.org/Due to loss of habitat, human predation, the population in the wild of whooping cranes was reduced to 16 in the flock that winters in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. That flock grew to about 200 in 2006. A non-migrating population that grew to about 54 in 2006 was established in Kissimmee Prairie in central Florida. In 1999, the effort to establish a migrating flock east of the Mississippi was begun. Chicks from captive cranes were hatched artificially in various locations and transferred to the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin.
See whooping crane population figures here:
http://www.savingcranes.org/images/stories/pdf/species/whooper_table.pdfYou can read about early efforts at:
http://www.savingcranes.org/whoopingcrane.htmlYoung whooping crane chicks are transferred to the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge where they are cared for by costumed keepers and trained to fly behind ultra-light aircraft. A host of agencies and groups are a part of Operation Migration. The methodology was first developed by two Canadians who used it to teach a migration route to Canada geese. This was beautifully depicted in the film Fly Away Home with Jeff Daniels and Anna Paquin. Operation Migration successfully used this technique on sandhill cranes and the next year, 2001, began its work with whooping cranes. We all have followed the progress of this year’s class.
You can read the Operation Migration field journals here:
http://www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.htmlAdditionally, another group of chicks have been introduced to adult whooping cranes and sandhill cranes living in the Necedah refuge. This is called the Direct Autumn Release program. The chicks live with the adult cranes and migrate with them.
You can find updates on the DAR migrating birds here:
http://www.savingcranes.org/whoopingcranereintroductionupdates/8.html As you can imagine, all of these activities are labor intensive and costly.
One can donate to Operation Migration at:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=7IP_-QApuVcF6s73xixABu3Q9N03n-VYOBx94OQDtdtnrO2FGJyJKCKp6fi&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1fc53a056acd1538879f614231735d88db02692aa5ce177198And the International Crane Foundation at:
https://www.savingcranes.org/donateonline.phpIf ever you are in south central Wisconsin, do visit the International Crane Foundation. A pair of each of the world’s fifteen crane species can be seen, although the day I was there, the whooping cranes were having some alone time in the tall reeds!
And, yes, cranes are one of my passions!
Gayle
