Photo by Joel Trick/USFWS
Whooping Crane
Reintroduction of Migratory Population in Eastern United States
Reintroduction of migratory whooping cranes to the eastern U.S. began in 2000. The purpose of the reintroduction is to establish a migratory population of whooping cranes that breeds in the upper Midwest and migrates
to the southeast for winter.
Annual Whooping Crane Recovery Report 
2015 Breeding Season to 2016 Spring Migration
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership
The Whooping Crane
Eastern Partnership, a group of non-profit
organizations and government agencies is conducting the reintroduction project. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service is a member of the Partnership.
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership Statement on Vision for the Future
Partners agree to modify rearing and release methods to improve success (PDF)
FWS Vision for the Next 5-year Strategic Plan 8-page PDF (Oct. 15, 2015)
Updated - -USFWS Statement on Vision for Eastern Migratory Population of Whooping Cranes (Oct. 28, 2015)
USFWS Statement about Vision for Next 5 Years (Oct. 16, 2015)
USFWS Statement on Vision - FAQs (PDF)
The Endangered Species Act Process that Established the Whooping Crane Reintroduction Project
To
reintroduce whooping cranes to eastern North America, we (the
Service) formally proposed establishing a Nonessential Experimental
Population by publishing the proposal in the Federal Register. The reintroduction proposal was identified as the preferred alternative
in a corresponding Environmental Assessment. The Federal Register publication of the proposal
and Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment opened a public comment period. After the comment period closed, we reviewed and analyzed all the comments that were received, then prepared a final rule based on that analysis. The Final Rule establishing
the Nonessential Experimental Population was published in
the Federal Register on June 26, 2001. Links to the
Final Rule and Environmental Assessment are below.
The Final Rule designates a whooping crane Nonessential
Experimental Population within a 20-state area in the eastern
U.S. We believe the Nonessential Experimental Population status
will adequately protect this whooping crane population, while
still allowing the presence of the cranes to be compatible
with routine human activities in the proposed reintroduction
area.
Establishment
of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Whooping Cranes
in the Eastern United States - Final Rule (pdf
file - 15 pages; 178KB)
Final Environmental Assessment:
Proposed Reintroduction of a Migratory Flock of Whooping Cranes
in the Eastern United States
Map
of Nonessential Experimental Population Area
Whooping Crane Reintroduction: Questions
and Answers about the Final Rule and Environmental Assessment
Additional information
Whooping
Crane Eastern Partnership - Partners working to reintroduce
Whooping Cranes to the Eastern United States along with information
about reintroduction activities, crane biology, and the history of whooping
cranes in North America. This site has detailed and current information about the whooping crane reintroduction project.
Regulatory Information Whooping Crane
(USFWS Endangered Species Website)
Operation Migration, Inc.: daily updates during spring and summer training for the young whooping cranes and during the fall migration to Florida.
International Crane Foundation: updates from the team of biologist who track the whooping cranes that have been reintroduced since 2001.
Wisconsin DNR Whooping Crane Site
Wisconsin Whooping Crane Management Plan
Midwest Endangered Species Home
