| Meet
the New 2002 Whooping Crane Chicks! Hatch-year 2002 of the Eastern Flock |
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| Crane
# 216 |
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| Date Hatched |
May 17 , 2002 |
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| Gender |
Male |
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| Pre-migratory Weight: 6.0 kg. |
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Permanent Leg Bands
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Personality and History
Personality Characteristics: Always the runt as a chick, but grew to become one of the largest males. Good flyer. Third most-dominant male. As a chick he wanted to fight anything that moved, but later was a good, normal bird. One of the pilots' favorite flyers.
History:
Fall 2002: Completed the journey south with ultralights and the Class of 2002. During the first winter in Florida, Sara said, "He's a large male and is somewhere in the middle of the hierarchy, but is rather mellow and doesn't seek out challenges or fights."
Spring 2003: Left Florida on first journey north April 1, 2003 with 14 other whoopers and returned successfully to Wisconsin on April 13. Spent the summer about 15 miles from Necedah NWR with flock mates #217, 202, 211, 212 and 213.
Fall 2003: Began migration on Nov. 13 with six flock mates and #102. This group of eight arrived at the "Chass" pen site in FLorida on November 21, 2003. During their entire journey south, the group stayed together and was never seen migrating with sandhill cranes. This group moved to Pasco County shortly after arriving in FL. Five of them, including #216, split from the group and moved to the area of Pasco County that #101 and #102 occupied in winter 2002.
Spring
2004: Left on spring migration around March 13, 2004, together
with #101,
102, 205, 208, and 217. PTT readings indicated the group roosted
in SW Indiana on March 22, but moved to DeKalb County, IL March
23. The group arrived back
at Necedah
NWR on April 1, 2004.
Fall 2004: Cranes #216 (with 203 and 215)
began migration from Monroe County, Wisconsin, on November 21.
They left
Greene
County,
Indiana on December
14. They roosted that night along a river in
Davidson County, Tennessee. On Dec. 15 the trio flew to Limestone
County,
Alabama, remaining in harvested cornfields and floodings there
until Dec. 23. Crane #215 then left them, but
#216
and 203 arrived at the winter pen site on the afternoon of
Dec. 28. Moved to a ranch in Lake County, FL for most of
the winter.
Spring
2005: #216 Began migration with #203 during March
22-24. In summer and fall, he spent time with #303 on Necedah
NWR.
Fall 2005: Began migration Nov. 17 with #303. They
were tracked into northern IL, but their roost site was not determined.
No further reports
until they arrived at their old Florida pen site
on December 14. They moved later to a ranch
in nearby Pasco County, FL.
Spring 2006: #216 left Florida around March
6 with #303. They were reported March 19 in Tennessee. Male
#216 and his mate, #303, were the only one of last year's
breeding pairs that had not arrived
on their
territory
in
Central Wisconsin by April 7. #216
was reported
that day in central
Minnesota. The location and fate of
#303 was not known until, amazingly, she turned up at Necedah
NWR on April
12.
The pair's separation may have been related to severe storms
that occurred during migration. Crane #216 stayed in Minnesota
for the rest of that week. On April 18 at 4:14 PM,
he landed within his territory on Necedah NWR! His injury
was apparent.
Read
what happened (video clip too). By April 20 he had moved
to the Mill Bluff State Park area. On April 21 he returned
to
his territory
at
Necedah NWR and rejoined #303. The pair stayed together
and returned to Mill Bluff on April 22. But he soon lost
his
territory at
Necedah AND his his mate, #303, to
young bachelor #408. Male #216 recovered
during the summer and currently occupies the area adjacent
to and east of his former territory.
Fall 2006: #216 left Wisconsin on Nov. 19 with #516 and 32-05 (DAR) and made it that night to SE Indiana. Both other birds made it to Florida, but #216 went off on his own path. He migrated successfully and was on his wintering area on a cattle ranch in Pasco County, FL in December.
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#102
and #216 March 24, 2007 in Illinois.
Photo Dan Thompson |
Spring 2007: He began migration March 5 (with #102).
Crane #216 was found at Necedah NWR on March 26. He had separated
from #102.
Fall 2007: Crane #216 joined with #303 and #317
around Necedah NWR on Nov. 20 and left with them on migration on
November 22.
He wintered in Pasco County, Florida.
Spring 2008: Began spring migration on February 29. He was first seen on the refuge back in Wisconsin on April 2. He has a nonfunctional transmitter, so it was a thrilling sight!
 #216 (outside the pen) visited #735 in her recovery pen at Necedah. Photos Colleen Wisinski, ICF |
 #216 gives
the unison call.
See how his head is thrown back as he calls. (Click to enlarge.) |
Alarm Calling. (Click to enlarge.) Photo Eva Szyszkoski |
Journey North is pleased to feature this educational
adventure made possible by the Whooping
Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP).
