 Photo: Operation Migration |
Meet
the New 2004 Whooping Crane Chicks! Hatch-year 2004 of the Eastern Flock |
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Crane
# 412 |
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| Date Hatched |
May 9 , 2004 |
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| Gender |
Male |
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| Date Arrived in Wisconsin |
June 30, 2004 |
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| Permanent
Leg Bands G/W/R |
W/G |
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Personality and History
Migration Training: Introduced to the trike at 9-days. Received 9 hrs & 5 min. of aircraft conditioning while at Patuxent WRC, where he did well with training from the beginning. Can be "a bit of a jerk" every now and the, but mostly is cooperative. Really scared of thunderstorms as a little chick. An insect bite on his face caused much swelling and he had to take medicine for weeks. Even so, his attitude and personality didn't waiver; he never became afraid of the costume, and continued as the best flyer and follower in cohort 2, the middle group in age.
History:
First
Migration South: One of the seven who flew
on day 1. Was crated to the next stop on day
22. On day 48, he dropped away just 10 miles
from the destination. By himself, he flew 80 miles south, then 80 miles
north, landing 8 miles east of the morning's departure site at the
Hiwassee State Wildlife Refuge!
Spring 2005: Stayed
behind at the pen site when 11 flock mates left on migration 25 March.
Began migration along with #204 and #105 on March 30. On April 3, the
trio flew 13 hours, the final 3 hours in darkness, with #412 seeming
in the lead. (Like Day 48 of the journey south!?) After those two older
cranes left him on April 5, he joined up with older cranes #304 and
#311 in flight over Indiana. The trio arrived in Wisconsin on or about
April 6. They left their roost site in Sauk County, WI on April
7th and completed migration with a short flight to Necedah National
Wildlife Refuge that afternoon. Crane
412 was the FIRST 2004 chick to officially arrive back at Necedah NWR! He
separated from the two older birds and roosted that night very close
to the training sites where he had "flight lessons," but
for most of 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, 403, 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 #403) and made it that night to NE Illinois. They successfully migrated to Florida, where #412 was in Lafayette County with #403 and #402.
Spring 2007:Began migration March 18 (with #403 and #403). Crane #412 has a nonfunctional transmitter, but she made it home! She was observed the morning of March 27 on Necedah NWR (with #216). He was briefly captured on April 1 and his transmitter was replaced.
Fall 2007: #412 began migration from Wisconsin on November 21 along with 307, 402, 511, 514, and W601 (the flock's only wild-hatched chick so far). He was found with #402 and wintering sandhill cranes in Lake County, Florida, on December 19.
Spring 2008: began spring migration on March 17 with #402. Back at Necedah NWR 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).