Journey North Whooping Crane Migration

Photo: Marianne Wellington

Meet the 2009 DAR Whooping Crane Chicks!

Crane DAR #41-09

Date Hatched

June 21, 2009

Gender

Male

Pre-Migr. Weight: 4.5 Kg

Egg Source: International Crane Foundation (ICF)

Permanent
Leg Bands

Left Leg
W/R

Right Leg
G/W/G

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

Personality
DAR 41-09 is like a little brother, tagging along and doing what the older kids (DAR # 39-09 and 40-09) do. He and 40-09 got along well fairly early in life, mainly because 40-09 was so independent. 41-09 would stay with the costume and 40-09 followed at a distance. The dynamics changed when 39-09 was socialized with these two. Then DAR 41-09 became the tag-along when 39-09 and 41-09 started hanging out together more. DAR 41-09 still gets into small squabbles with 39-09 but is smart enough to call “uncle” early so no one gets hurt. DAR 41-09 has a yellow band on the right leg.

By the first of September, 41-09 was flying! Also, we have started taking all but injured 39-09 out together in the morning as well as the afternoon. Chick 41-09 & 42-09 have been harrassed a little more by the older chicks now that 39-09 isn't able to "protect" his buddies.

October weather brought sun, wind, rain and snow. The chicks seemed to enjoy testing their wings in the winds. Several days they birds made flights where they were almost out of view flying both to the north and south of their pen site. A couple of times they were out of view for a period of time, and someof the flew over to visit the ultralight chicks in their pen! We couldn't tell which chicks did that because they didn't get banded until Oct. 13. They are building up their flight strength in these final days or weeks before migration.

The nine DAR cranes were released on the evening of October 24 on the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. Signals from the radio transmitters on the birds' leg bands will help biologists from ICF and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as they track movements of the released DAR cranes now and throughout their migration. Stay tuned!

Fall 2009: DAR 41-09 was released at ERP on the refuge with DAR 40-09 and 42-09. They roosted together there the first night, but returned to Site 3 the next day and joined DAR 32-09 and 38-09. Other flockmates later joined them. On November 1 all DAR juveniles (except 36-09 and 42-09) flew in undirected flight over Monroe and Juneau Counties for at least 70 minutes before returning to Site 3. Are they getting restless? Will they soon follow older cranes to learn the migration route, as experts hope they will?

Notes by Marianne Wellington, ICF. Thank you!

Migration History

Last updated: 11/03/09

Back to "Meet the Flock 2009"