Personality and History

Personality Characteristics: Somewhat shy and loves the wet pen so much that he will not come out unless bribed with treats. Seemed low on the pecking order but was more comfortable with the group by end of August.
Migration South: One of the six cranes (with 301,305,319, 212 and 316) that flew the whole first leg. Got tired and dropped out 8 miles short of 4th migration stop, so was crated and transported to location. That's the only 8 miles of the migration it did not fly.

History: Attained adult voice during the third week of March, 2004.
Spring 2004: Left Chassahowitzka together with the other 7 remaining chicks on April 7. They flew until rain stopped them, roosting that night in Jefferson Cty., FL. Took off April 8 in the group of 8 but a thunderstorm separated the eight. Cranes #304, 306 and 317 stayed together, but flying southward. They landed in a north Florida wetland at 4:40 p.m. Cranes #304, 306 & 317 were last detected inflight in northwestern Georgia or northeastern Alabama in late afternoon April 10; in KY April 15, and in IL on April 16. On April 17, #304, 306 and 317 flew for almost 11 hours and landed in SE Minnesota well after darkness fell. This was approximately 65 miles southwest of their Necedah NWR reintroduction site. The three stayed in that MN location until April 23 and were seen flying along the Mississippi River in late April. Next went to Trempeleau County, WI, and were finally reported back at Necedah May 12. Later moved to nearby Mill Bluff State Park with several 2002 ultracranes from the 2002 flock.

Fall 2004: Left Wisconsin October 23 with #317 and occupying Iroquois County, IL, since Oct. 26th. Detected migrating November 7 and trackers suspected he landed in Vermillion County, Illinois. Roosted in Orangeburg County, South Carolina on Nov. 10. Was in Colleton County, South Carolina, and remained in a large complex of wetlands and flooded cornfields in the southeast portion of South Carolina. Last observed Jan. 31.

Spring 2005: Began migration from Colleton County, South Carolina, between March 11 and 15. Reported in a flock of migrating sandhill cranes in Berrien County, Michigan, on March 18. Back on Necedah NWR on April 6. Observed building a nest with #203 on the Refuge. The pair stayed around their established territory all summer.

Fall 2005: After 4 tries, ICF's Sara Zimorski and Richard Urbanek finally caught this bird on November 11. They replaced his transmitter and broken antenna so he can still be radio-tracked. He began migration Nov. 17 with #203. They later joined in flight with #102 & #212, #301 & #311. The group roosted that night in Will County, IL. They flew Nov. 18 to SW of Indianapolis, Indiana. They were still at this Marion County stopover in mid-December. He landed at the Chassahowitzka NWR pen in Florida on Dec. 22, along with #203. They moved to Sumter County, FL the next day, but returned to check out the Chass pen on Dec. 24.

Spring 2006: #317 and mate #203 left Florida on Feb. 1 with pair #301 and #311. They were last tracked on 2 February, when they were in flight over northcentral Okefenokee Swamp. They were on course for the place in South Carolina where #317 had wintered one year earlier. They arrived back at Wisconsin's Necedah NWR on March 18 or 19. The pair built a nest in early April but the nest failed April 15 or 16 and the eggs were lost to a predator.

Fall 2006: Began migration Nov. 19 and (with #303) made it to NE Illinois that night. The pair was detected in Indiana Nov. 22. They successfully migrated to Florida, and were in Hernando County until Dec. 19 when they left that location. They visited the Chass pen but haven't been seen since they left there on Jan. 28.

Fake egg placed in nest. Photo Richard Urbanek, ICF.

Spring 2007: Began migration March 5 (with mate #303 and pair #312 and #316). Confirmed back on Necdedah NWR (with mate #303) during an aerial survey on 23 March. Their arrival date was later set at March 15, according to the refuge's automatic datalogger. They deserted their first nest, but nested again and began incubating around May 14. Because #303 and #317 came from the same parents, they are full siblings—brother and sister. To help ensure genetic diversity among the reintroduced wild flock, experts went to the nest about 3 weeks later to swap the egg with another egg. The male Whooping Crane (#317) was sitting on the nest. Both cranes flushed from the area, and ICF staff quickly switched the eggs. They discovered that the pair's egg was not a good one. After several hours had passed and the adults hadn’t returned to the nest, they removed the good captive-produced egg, which was due to hatch very soon. This time a plaster fake egg was placed in the nest in case the adults returned. The egg from ICF was brought back to ICF for incubation, where the chick will become part of the DAR (Direct Autumn Release) project.

Fall 2007: Crane Pair #317 and #303 joined up with #216 around Necedah NWR on Nov. 20 and they left together on migration on November 22. The pair (303 and 317) were stilll in Marion County, Indiana, at the end of December.

May 5, 2008: failed nest found, good egg collected. Photo ICF

Spring 2008: Male #317 and female #303 left their territory in Marion County, Florida, on February 5 or 6 and moved to an undetermined location. They were back on their territory at Necedah NWR on March 30. Everyone was thrilled to see the pair incubating on a nest beginning on April 9 or 10. A nest check on May 19 found 1 broken fertile egg and 1 intact fertile egg. The good egg was brought to ICF for incubation.