Journey North Whooping Cranes

Eastern Flock
Meet the 2008 Whooping Crane Chicks!
Spring 2008 Born ~ Fall 2008 first fall migration ~ Spring 2009 first spring migration

Chicks of the new Eastern flock learn to migrate in one of three ways:

Group 1

Learn to migrate
by following ultralight airplanes

Group 1 chicks are captive-born.

Crane #803
(died 4/29/09)

Crane #804

Crane #805

Crane #812

Crane #813

Crane #814

Crane #818

Crane #819
(died Sep. 2009)

Crane #824

Crane #826
(died April 8, 2009)

Crane #827

Crane #828

Crane #829

Crane #830

Removed before migration: 811 and
Crane 810 (became DAR
#10-08

Above Photos: Bev Paulan, Operation Migration and Brian Clauss, Patuxent WRC

Group 2

Learn to migrate by following older cranes in the flock

Group 2 chicks are also captive-born. They are released and follow older cranes south in a program called
Direct Autumn Release (DAR).

Crane #31-08

Crane #32-08
(died April 2009)

Crane #36-08

Crane #37-08
(died April 2009)

Crane #38-08

Died after release but before migration:

Crane #35-08

Photos John Cullum, ICF

From Ultralight Class to DAR

Crane #10-08
(Presumed dead May 2009)

Group 3

Learn to migrate by following their parents

Group 3 chicks are wild-born. Their parents raise them and teach them to migrate. This is the natural way cranes learn to migrate. One day, the flock will be large enough for wild-born parents to take over. Then human-assisted migration will no longer be needed. Scientists hope to reach their goal of 25 breeding pairs from 125 birds in Wisconsin by 2020.

Despite 11 nests, no wild-born chicks hatched in summer 2008.

Meet the Chicks 2001-2009 Select Hatch Year
2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009