Journey North Whooping Cranes

Photo: Operation Migration

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

Crane # 403

Date Hatched

April 21 , 2004

Gender

Male

Date Arrived in Wisconsin

June 16, 2004

Permanent Leg Bands
G/R/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. Received 9 hrs & 10 min. of aircraft conditioning while at PWRC. Big and dominate, he's one of the top birds. A pig for treats.

History:
First Migration South: One of the seven who flew on day 1.

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 #403 stayed with 2, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 20. They remained in Dane County, WI and finished their migration to Necedah NWR on May 3. 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 #402, 412, 416, and 417. They made it to Indiana the first day.On November 10th they were roosting at a central Tennessee location. On November 10th 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 402, 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, #402 and #412) and made it that night to NE Illinois. They successfully migrated to Florida, where #403 was in Lafayette County with #402 and #412.

Spring 2007: Began migration March 18 (with #402 and #412).Confirmed roosting with #402 on Necedah NWR, on the night of March 26. In the summer he was hanging out with #W601. That changed on October 4 when wandering female #309, newly-captured-and-returned-to-Wisconsin, drove off the younger W601 and paired up the #403. Everyone is hoping that the pair will stay together, migrate south, and that male #403 can convince wayward #309 to return with him to Wisconsin next spring.

Fall 2007: Crane #403 and #309, still together, left Wisconin on migration on November 27. They were detected in Indiana on December 13. They arrived safely at their old Chass pen site in Florida on Jan. 3! They moved with #313, 318, and 506 to Sumter County on Jan. 6. The next day the group of five cranes took off and separated in flight. But #403 stayed with #309 as they moved to Madison County. Scientists hope they will stay together on a territory all winter — and that #403 can convince #309 to migrate back to Wisconsin (instead of New York!) in spring for the first time in her life!

Spring 2008: 403 and mate (#309) were tracked to their first overnight migration stop in Madison County, Florida, on February 28. They left the following day. They returned to Necedah NWR on March 27 and on March 30 were seen defending their territory against #213 and #218! HOORAY!! For the first time in her five springs #309 has completed migration to Wisconsin, thanks to 403!!!! In more good news, the new pair #403 and #309 were observed April 9 sitting on a nest!

#403 and mate #309 defending their territory against #213 and #218 on March 30, 2008

Photo ICF Trackers

Aerial view of #309 nest on April 23

Photo Sara Zimorski, ICF

May 3 nest check: only eggshells

Photo Richard Urbanek, ICF

On May 5, the pair was seen foraging together outside of their nesting marsh on the Necedah Refuge. "This was an indication that their nest had failed," said Dr. Richard Urbanek. Only small eggshell fragments were found in the nest.

Fall 2008: Began migration from Wisconsin on November 17, along with mate #309 and also #520. The pair (still with #520) ended up in Lafayette County, Florida by late December.

Spring 2009: Male #403 (with mate #309 and crane #520) apparently began migration from Taylor County, Florida, between February 19 and 25. The pair #309 and #403 were confirmed on Necedah NWR on March 23. They built a nest and laid eggs that would hatch May 5 if they incubate them successfully. An infestation of black flies had driven all the other nesting pairs off nests by April 24, but #309 and #403 kept sitting. However, their nest also failed; it appears that black flies made it impossible for them to keep incubating in comfort. Photos below.

Photo Heather Ray, Operation Migration By April 24, 2009 this pair had the only remaining nest out of ten nesting pairs this spring. They "toughed out" the torment of black flies hatched on very warm days April 23-24. A new video camera kept an eye on the birds and their precious nest. Everyone was hoping this pair could keep incubating their eggs, due to hatch around May 5-7.	Photo Sara Zimorski But the black flies proved too difficult to put up with. The pair left their nest and moved through the woods. They were not foraging but were showing signs of discomfort: shaking their heads and rubbing their heads on their backs.	Photo Sara Zimorski After the birds left on Sunday May 3 and showed no signs of returning to the nest, 2 fertile and viable ( still alive) eggs were collected from the nest and brought to ICF.Sara reported: "The eggs looked good and were old enough that you could see them move when the brood call was played for them. This is how we knew they were still alive." (More below.)
With the eggs of #309 and #403 safely at ICF, Sara said, "By May 5, one of the eggs was peeping, meaning the chick had gotten into the egg's aircell and was getting closer to hatching. ICF isn't ready for DAR chicks so on May 6 one of our newer aviculturists, Kim, took both of #309's eggs plus a fertile egg produced at ICF to Patuxent WRC in Maryland. These three eggs will hopefully hatch and become part of the ultralight project, and those chicks (if they make it) will get to return to Necedah where two of them came from!" Meanwhile, the pair re-nested on May 23. They were still incubating eggs in the second nest as of May 27. Their second nest failed June 14 but in the meantime, the rescued eggs from the first nest hatched into #906 and #908 for the Class of 2009 ultralight-led flock!

Last updated: 9/26/09