Journey North Whooping Crane bio page for #19-10 DAR

Photo Jennifer Davis, ICF

Meet the Class of 2010 Whooping Crane Chicks!
Hatch-year 2010 of the Eastern Flock

Crane # 19-10 DAR

Date Hatched

May 27, 2010

Gender

Male

Egg Source

Permanent
Leg Bands

(Attached before first migration)

Left Leg

Right Leg

radio transmitter

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

Personality as a Chick
"Pepper Jack" was this chick's baby name after hatching at ICF. He was second in the group to fly; he fledged on August 16. How many days of age was he then?

"Crane #19-10 has always been stubborn, intelligent, and very independent. He seems to know that the costumes are not his parents. He has always been a willful child, doing exactly opposite of what we wanted him to do. But he's smart enough to know what's good for him. He knows his place among the chicks is pretty high, so he doesn't go around pushing the issue, but he likes to challenge the adult cranes and the costumes nearby as he tries to establish a higher place in the hierarchy.reports Jen.
The 11 DAR (Direct Autumn Release) Whooping Crane chicks were released October 25 on the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The young cranes learn the migration route from following older cranes. Biologists from ICF and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are tracking the released DAR cranes using radio telemetry, picking up radio signals emitted from leg transmitters on the birds.

Where is Pepper Jack?
Crane 19-10 left the refuge on November 1, reported tracker Eva. "Unfortunately, I lost his signal about 1.5 hours before sunset around Richland Center, WI and could not locate him again. Tracker Jen went down there the next morning in case he got up in the air, but she also did not detect him. We will have to wait for a flight to search for him or hope that he moves somewhere and is reported by somebody. Until then, we can only cross our fingers and hope he is OK. He was not with any other Whooping cranes (at least none with working transmitters). Because of the direction he headed in and the chicks behavior since release, I do not think he was with any sandhills either.

Migration History

Fall 2010: "Wild Child" #19-10 DAR left Nov. 23 but was was missing in action for until Dec. 2 when trackers caught up with him. Tracker Eva joyfully reported: "I found 19-10 today! He is with adult pair #211 (11-02) and #830 (30-08) in Vermillion County, Indiana." Hooray for the older crane pair to show Pepper Jack the way!
They were foraging in snowy cornfields. Adults #211 and #830 had claimed the DAR introduction site at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge as their territory, so Pepper Jack had followed them around and knew them well. They resumed migration and were in Cherokee County, Alabama but were gone when the location was checked on February 1, 2011. The three cranes were next reported in Madison County, Alabama at least through February 14, along with cranes 37-09 (DAR), 25-10 (DAR) and 27-10 (DAR).

Spring 2011: Left Madison County, Alabama sometime between Feb. 18-22 in a group with #211 and #830 and cranes 37-09 (DAR), 25-10 (DAR) and 27-10 (DAR). They were reported in Crawford County, IL on March 8-10 and Mar. 14. Minus the pair #211/830, the group was still there March 16 and completed migration to Necedah NWR by March 21.

Fall 2011: Wintered in Greene County, Indiana with #25-10 (DAR).

Spring 2012:

Fall 2012: He was photographed March 12 at Goose Pond fish and Wildlife Area in Greene County, Indiana. The cranes' leg bands identify them as #19-10 DAR, male #212 (12-02), female #419 (19-04) and this pair's subadult offspring W1-12.

Four Whooping Cranes in Indiana in March Photo Steven Smith

Spring 2013: Completed migration March 30.

Last updated: 4/6/13

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