Whooping Cranes Class of 2010

Eastern Flock
Meet the 2010 Whooping Crane Chicks!
Spring 2010 Born ~ Fall 2010 first fall migration ~ Spring 2011 first spring migration
All crane pictures and names link to the bird's life story.
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 #1-10 (M)

Crane #3-10 (F)

Crane #5-10 (F)

Crane #6-10 (F)

Crane #8-10 (M)

Crane #9-10 (F)

Crane #10-10 (F)

Crane #15-10 (M)
(died Aug., 2011)

Crane #16-10 (F)

Crane #17-10 (M)

Removed :
Crane #2-10
Crane #11-10
Crane #4-10

Above Photos: Operation Migration

Group 2

Learn to migrate by following older cranes in the flock

Group 2 chicks are also captive-born. In fall the chicks are released in the company of older cranes from whom the young birds learn the migration route in a program called
Direct Autumn Release (DAR).

On July 20, the 11 chicks for Direct Autumn Release (DAR) arrived at Necedah NWR from nearby International Crane Foundation (ICF). They were released Oct. 25 with wild cranes.

DAR #18-10 (M)
(died Oct. 30, 2010, before migration)

DAR #19-10 (M)

DAR #20-10 (M)
(died Dec., 2010)

DAR #21-10 (M)

DAR #22 -10 (F)
(died Jan., 2011)

DAR #23 -10 (F)

DAR #24-10
(died Dec., 2010)

DAR #25-10 (M)

DAR #26-10 (M)

DAR #27-10 (F)

DAR #28-10 (M)
(died Dec., 2010)

Above Photos: International Crane Foundation

Group 3 (W = wild hatched)

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, this flock will be large enough for wild-born parents to take over. Then human-assisted migration will no longer be needed.

Parents #309 and #403 with chick W1-10 on July 7, 2010.

Seven chicks hatched in 2010 in the Wisconsin wild. This was the largest number to hatch in the new flock's history. Wild-hatched chicks face many dangers in the first weeks of their lives, and by summer's end only W1-10 and W3-10 survived.They were flying by the end of August and better able to escape predators.

Parents #309 and #403 with chick W1-10 (F) on July 7, 2010.
Photo Operation Migration

Parents #212 and #419 with chick W3-10 on Aug. 30, 2010.

Parents #212 and #419 with chick W3-10 (F) on Aug. 30, 2010.
Photo Eva Szyszkoski, ICF

Meet the Chicks 2001-2010 Select Hatch Year
2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010