|
Meet
the New 2007 Whooping Crane Chicks! Hatch-year 2007 of the Eastern Flock |
||||||||||||||
|
Crane
# 709 |
||||||||||||||
| Date Hatched |
May 5 , 2007 |
|||||||||||||
| Gender |
Male |
|||||||||||||
| |
Egg Source: Florida nonmigratory flock |
|||||||||||||
Permanent Leg Bands Weight
05/05/07: 132
grams |
|
|||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Personality and History
Migration Training: On May 16 the trainers introduced 709 and 710 for the first time. There was a lot of bill pecking, with 709 finally coming out on top after their 20-minute walk. He came to Wisconsin for flight school on June 19 in cohort one, the 8 oldest chicks. By July 24, he was flying strongly beneath the wing of the trike for the entire length of the grassy runway, along with 3 of the other oldest chicks. By July 31 he was flying two circuits with the ultralight! He gained steadily in endurance and he follows well.
History
First Migration South: Chick #709 left Wisconsin for his first migration
on October 13th, 2007. He flew the whole first leg of the journey and landed
safely
at Stopover #1! Find day-by-day
news about the flock's migration and read more about #709 below.
Nov. 16, Day 35: Crane 709 had been a terrific flyer every day, but midway through today's flight 709 began tugging with his beak at the batten string flopping at the end of Brooke's aircraft wing. Time after time, he clamped his beak down on the string, then thrust skyward, pulling the string and the wing up. Brooke said, "This caused a bump in flight which I had to immediate correct by pulling down slightly on the wing. This became a game between us: he tugged, I corrected, he released the string but only to fix completely on it until it was again in his beak—and I again corrected." It didn't take long for Brooke to grow tired of 709's little game! Luckily, 709 finally turned his attention back to flying without mischief again.
Nate says 709 picks on him sometimes. His bill is a little overgrown, but isn't causing too much concern.
Crane #709 completed every flight without ever dropping out — until Day 92.
Spring
2008, First Journey North: Began migration
from Florida March 25 in a group of six flockmates
and made it to Worth County Georgia. Four of
the
six stayed together (#709, #703, #707 and #714)
and resumed northward migration the next morning,
March 26, to Bledsoe
County, TN. Crane #709
had not been detected since his radio signals
were
received on the evening of March 26. The group
may have scattered after their traveling mate
#714 was killed by a predator; 709 may have continued
north on
his
own,
or he may be farther away. Trackers learned the
answer when his signal was picked up at 1:00
pm April 4 — over Necedah National Wildlife
Refuge in Wisconsin! He
is the first of the Class of 2007 to complete
migration
to Wisconsin — but
wait! He overflew and kept going. His
signal was lost and he has not been seen since
then.
Sara said, "This is typical behavior for
returning UL juveniles. They often pass over
the refuge
and then move around a lot before settling back
down for the summer near the refuge." Crane #709
was confirmed on Wisconsin farmland on
April 14!
Last updated: 4/14/08
Back to "Meet the Flock 2007"
Journey North is pleased to feature this educational
adventure made possible by the Whooping
Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP).