Journey North Whooping Cranes

Photo: Operation Migration

Meet the New 2004 Whooping Crane Chicks!
Hatch-year 2004 of the Eastern Flock

Crane # 401

Date Hatched

April 20 , 2004

Gender

Male

Date Arrived in Wisconsin

June 16, 2004

Permanent Leg Bands
R/G/W

W/G

Read about the naming system, birth place in Maryland, release site in Wisconsin, over-wintering site in Florida and leg-band codes.

Personality and History

Migration Training: Introduced to the trike at 8-days of age. Received 6 hrs & 24 min. of aircraft conditioning while at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) Followed the trike well from the start, and also did well when left alone. Very small bird and rather submissive. Loves the costume and is a bit clingy around it. Follows and begs for treats.

History:
Spring 2005: Left on first journey north with the group of 11 on 25 March, 2005 after 103 days on wintering grounds. After flying through Georgia and veering as far east as South Carolina, the flock corrected their course, stopping in Indiana before reaching Wisconsin. Still together, the group of 11 entered Wisconsin the evening of April 4. On April 6 the group of 11 split. Chick #401 stayed with 407, 408 and 414. They returned to their previous roost in Fond du Lac County, WI and were gone when the site was checked on April 7. They were next seen April 14 during an aerial search in Winnebago County, Illinois, in a harvested cornfield 1 mile south of the Wisconsin border. They roosted at this location and foraged in cornfields on both sides of the Illinois-Wisconsin state line until 25 April when they proceeded northward to roost in Adams County, WI---27 miles from Necedah NWR. On April 27 they completed migration to Necedah NWR, then flew to nearby Yellow River Cranberry, just east of the Refuge, to join #312 and #316. They stayed there several days, but #401,#407 and #408 departed the area on May 3 (after #414 was killed by a large predator the night of May 2). On May 9 and 10, they were confirmed in southeastern Wisconsin. These three flew into southeastern Minnesota in mid June in wandering behavior that is is normal for yearling cranes. During summer, #401, 407, and 408 roosted together back at Necedah NWR.

Cranes #401, 407, 408 on Nov. 22, 2005. Photo WCEP Trackers

Fall 2005: Cooler temperatures at the end of August prompted some early autumn staging/pre-migratory activity, and the three birds moved from Necedah NWR to Morrison County in central Minnesota. They were seen there on several dates up to Nov. 9. They were next sighted Nov. 22 in Washington County, Indiana—on migration! They were using the shallow edge of a lake and foraging in a harvested cornfield next to the lake. They roosted near Hiwassee NWR in TN on Nov. 24. On Nov. 24 they were in Sumter County, GA. On Nov. 30, cranes #401, 407, and 408 completed migration when they arrived at the Chassahowitzka pen site. They soon moved on to other nearby areas.

Spring 2006: Still with #407 and #408, he left Madison County, Florida, and flew into Georgia on March 9. They completed migration to Wisconsin's Necedah NWR March 20.

Fall 2006: Began migration from Wisconsin on Nov. 19. Made it to SE Indiana that day. Detected in flight over Pasco County, FL on Nov. 24. Remained there with the subadult flock (309, 407, 520) and sandhill cranes during December. Visited the Chass pen in January after the new chicks arrived.

Spring 2007: Crane #401 (and 520) left Pasco County, FL on March 13. Arrived on Necedah NWR by the night of March 22. The pair separated and #401 was not located again until April 19. He and #508 were found together in Wood County on an aerial survey. Female 508* had apparently been in this area for several weeks.

Fall 2007: Migrated from Wisconsin to Kane County, Illinois, on November 22 with crane #508. By the end of December the two were in Davidson County, Tennessee.

Cranes #401 and #508 are on private property. The owner put up a sign because people were trespassing to see the pair of whoopers. (Unfortunately, some people still trespassed, endangering the birds' safety.)

Spring 2008: Signals heard on the refuge March 30 confirmed the pair (401 and 508) was back on Necedah NWR. They began nesting around April 16, but only eggshell fragments were found when the nest was checked on May 5. This pair separated for a short time in early fall (see photo below).

Fall weather in Wisconsin was unusually warm. On November 1, ICF Tracking Interns Eva Szyszkoski and Binga Elger checked on the five 2008 Direct Autumn Release (DAR) cranes released together on a remote part of the Necedah NWR. Here they are with adult #401, who joined them for a short time. Many sandhill cranes were also with the Whooping cranes, but the sandhills flushed when the costumed biologists entered the scene.
Photo Binga Elger, ICF

Fall 2008: By Nov. 5 or 6, #401 was back with mate #508. #401's transmitter was replaced so he can now be tracked again. They were in Davidson County, Tennessee for the winter.

Spring 2009: Began migration with mate #508 on or after March 9. Reported back at Necedah NWR in Wisconsin by March 19. He and mate #508 were found on a nest April 9! The nest failed April 24, likely due to the torment of the crane pair by an outbreak of biting black flies as the adults tried to sit on the nest. This pair stayed in the area together all summer.

Last updated: 9/26/09

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