News from Scientists at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Wednesday, June 19, 2002
| Whooping
Cranes Released Last Fall in Florida by Whooping Crane Eastern
Partnership Returned this Spring to Necedah National Wildlife
Refuge in Wisconsin
The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership announced that whooping cranes released last fall by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, Florida returned this spring to the training site at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin. For whooping cranes, 2001 was our pilot year. All 5 birds are selecting proper habitat as they move about the Wisconsin countryside. This year the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (Patuxent) will send 18 chicks to Necedah. The first shipment of eight birds will go June 12 and the last ten on June 27. WCEP trains the chicks to follow an ultralight aircraft on the ground at Patuxent and trains the chicks to fly behind the ultralight at Necedah. WCEP will train the cranes through the summer and into September. In October, the birds will fly behind the ultralights to Chassahowitzka. These birds should learn the migration route like the first five birds. Eventually, the Whooping Crane Recovery Team hopes this Wisconsin to Florida reintroduction will establish a second viable migratory population.
Early
"ground school" for whooping cranes at the USGS Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center prior to shipment to Necedah NWR. Photo by
Carlyn Caldwell Whooping Crane Chick Fledged in Florida: First Ever from the Florida Captive Released Birds First Whooping Crane Chick Fledged in Florida - A whooping crane chick ‘Lucky’ or ‘Leesburg Chick’ fledged in Florida, June 2002. Lucky is the first chick ever to fledge from the Florida captive released birds. Lucky took its first flight at 76 days and was fully flight capable 5 to 10 days later. In this picture, the chick is 87 days old and often leading the parents in flight around the marsh. Lucky’s parents are January 20, 1999 Patuxent release birds (Florida ID 800, Patuxent ID 98039 and Florida ID 898, Patuxent ID 98043). They are brother and sister from the same release cohort. Lucky’s grand parents 83003 (Ernie) and 83004 (Kate) have been a productive pair. Interestingly, 83003 was produced in 1983 from the pair (64001 or Canus and 71001 or Mrs C) that contains the oldest bird in the captive flock. The grand parents have a diverse genetic background and represent Wood Buffalo National Park nest sites S1 (64001), K1 (71001), and K8 (83004). It is appropriate that Canus (64001) is the great granddad of the first chick to fledge in Florida. Canus started the entire government endangered species effort to save the whooping crane in the early 1960s.
"Lucky" (left)
in flight. Tan plumage is typical of immature whoopers. NOTE: Come visit our site starting June 20, 2002 to see videos of "Lucky" on our new Whooper Report! HiLites Contact: B.H. Powell, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 301-497-5782 |
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