Journey North Whooping Crane Migration

Photo: John Cullum

Meet the 2008 DAR Whooping Crane Chicks!

Crane DAR #36-08 (836D)

Date Hatched

June 27 , 2008

Gender

Male

Egg Source:

Permanent
Leg Bands

Left Leg

Right Leg

R/W

G/W/G

Read more about the raising and naming of the DAR chicks.
*Scroll to bottom for most recent history.*

Personality and History
This bird was known as the bully during his young chick days. Although in his past he would get upset at the sight of another bird and would chase anyone who got too close, he mellowed out. By end of August he had become a strong member of the younger group, though still the dominant bird of the younger cohort. He always has been very fond of the crane costume and likes to be near it often.

He was released on Necedah NWR with #35-08 on October 18th. The next day these two as well as DAR #37-08 and #38-08 flew back to the site where they were all raised. A few days later,#35-08, 36-08 and 38-08 flew to the northern end of the refuge and joined up with flockmates #31-08 and #32-08. These five DAR chicks remained together on the northern end of the refuge. Signals from the birds’ radio transmitters sometimes indicate that adult Whooping cranes may be interacting with these chicks, but their remote location means no one usually sees this.

Fall weather in Wisconsin was unusually warm. On November 1, ICF Tracking Interns Eva Szyszkoski and Binga Elger checked on the five DAR cranes located on a remote part of the Necedah NWR. The area is quite difficult to get to. Binga took this photo of the DAR cranes and adult whooping crane #401. Many sandhill cranes were also with the whooping cranes, but the sandhills flushed when the costumed biologists entered the scene.
Photo Binga Elger, ICF

Fall 2008 — First Journey South as a DAR Crane: On November 17 DAR chick #36-08 began migration with experienced adult #216 and DAR flockmates 31-08, 32-08, and 38-08. Thatnight the small group roosted near Ogle County, Illinois! They were still in northern Illinois as of Dec. 1. They were still in northern Illinois as of Dec. 1. On Dec. 5 they arrived in Lawrence County, Tennessee.

Spring 2009: Trackers think #36-08 left on migration with this wintering group of five cranes, since #31-08 began migration north from Lawrence County, TN on March 17th or 18th and PTT data indicated that he (and probably the others) stopped in Gallatin County, IL on March 18th and Rock County, IL on March 20th. The group likely reached home on the night of March 22, as all were confirmed at Necedah on March 23! He wandered during the summer and was seen with DAR 31-08 and DAR 38-08 in a marsh in Columbia County in September.

Last updated: 9/26/09

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