Marsh Masters flatten vegetation adjacent to the whooping crane pen site at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, October 2008. Photo by Keith Ramos

Service Biologist Billy Brooks makes fence repairs in preparation for arrival of whooping cranes at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, October 2008. Photo by Keith Ramos.

Staff of Chassahowitzka NWR and the Services' Jacksonville, Florida, Field Office recently collaborated with volunteers, including members of the Refuge Friends group, on repairs and upgrades to the whooping crane pen facilities located on the refuge.  This pen has been the winter home to a new cohort of whooping cranes each fall since 2001, and will soon house the Class of 2008 whooping crane chicks scheduled to arrive later this fall.  Work completed included vegetation clearing, fence repair, and upgrading a boardwalk that provides safe access to the pen by project staff.  This much-needed maintenance will help to provide protection from predators and ensure the survival of these valuable birds over the wintering period.

The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership  has been releasing young whooping cranes since 2001, as part of an ongoing project to reintroduce a migratory population to eastern North America.  This population currently numbers 75 birds in the wild, in addition to the 14 birds currently being led southward behind ultralight aircraft.  The exact date of arrival of the new cohort of whooping cranes is dependant upon weather, and so is difficult to predict.  Based upon experiences from previous years, the birds may be arriving anywhere from early December to some time in January.  Upon arrival, the birds will have time to acclimate to life on their own, yet be protected from predators and other hazards by roosting within the confines of the pen.  The oversight by the winter monitoring staff will ensure their survival over the first winter of life, during a period when high rates of mortality could otherwise occur.