 Photo: Operation Migration |
Meet
the New 2004 Whooping Crane Chicks! Hatch-year 2004 of the Eastern Flock |
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Crane
# 402 |
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| Date Hatched |
April 21 , 2004 |
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| Gender |
Male |
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| Date Arrived in Wisconsin |
June 16, 2004 |
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| Permanent
Leg Bands W/R/W |
W/G |
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Migration Training: Introduced to the trike at 8-days of age. Received 8 hrs & 10 min. of aircraft conditioning at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC). Good follower. Wants to be in charge. Clobbered the younger #407 when the younger chick bit him on the neck.
History:
First
Migration South: Crated to destination on Day
1 and dropped out on Day 2 (crated again). Crated
to Kankakee Cty, IL on day 22. On day 36, decided
that while it couldn't manage to follow the aircraft another 5 miles
into Oldham County, it could still fly for more than 7 hours (all over
Kentucky, and southeast Indiana) before he was retrieved by trackers. Often
called a toublemaker (along with 405 and 408).
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
#402 stayed with 3, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 20. They remained in Dane
County, WI and finally
arrived on Necedah NWR on May 3, migration complete! During the
summer, cranes #402, 403, 412, 416, and 417 roosted as a group, often
with
sandhill cranes. They spent time in Columbia and Marquette counties,
WI.
Fall 2005: Left Wisconsin on its first unaided fall migration on November 9, together with #403, 412, 416, and 417. They made it to Indiana the first day. On November 10 they were roosting at a central Tennessee location. According to tracker Lara Fondow, the five males landed at their former pen site in Florida at 2:05 November 17. They are the first Eastern flock whoopers to complete migration to the primary wintering area in west-central Florida this fall! With no free food at the pen, they wandered north the next day.
Spring 2006: Began migration on March 27 or 28 in a group with 403, 412, 416 and 417. They were reported in Dane County, WI on March 31. They moved up to Necedah NWR to complete their migration on April 6!
Fall 2006: Departed Wisconsin on Nov. 19 (with #310, #403 and #412) and made it that night to NE Illinois. They successfully migrated to Florida, where #402 was in Lafayette County with #403 and #412.
Spring 2007: Began migration March 18 (with #403 and #412). Confirmed roosting with #403 on Necedah NWR, on the night of March 26.
Fall 2007: #402 began migration from Wisconsin on November 21 along with 307, 412, 511, 514, and W601 (the flock's only wild-hatched chick so far). He was found with #412 and wintering sandhill cranes in Lake County, Florida, on December 19.
Spring 2008: Began spring migration on March 17 with #412. Confirmed back on Necedah NWR by March 30.
Last updated: 3/31/08
Back to "Meet the Flock 2004"
Journey North is pleased to feature this educational
adventure made possible by the Whooping
Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP).