Photo Jennifer Davis, ICF	Meet the Class of 2010 Whooping Crane Chicks! Hatch-year 2010 of the Eastern Flock
	Crane # 25-10 DAR
	Date Hatched	June 13, 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
"Queso" was this chick's baby name after hatching at ICF. He began to fly on September 4! How many days old was he then?

As the summer turned to fall, it was clear that this bird is the big rebel. he is almost never with the group. Jen says they think of him as the lone wolf.

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.

By Nov. 6 the large group of nine DAR birds had been settling into a routine and feeding in cornfields just south of the refuge during the day, reported Eva. They are usually with older birds #506, #906 and 38-09 (DAR) and return to the refuge in the evening.

As they begin the migration south trackers will be monitoring the birds’ movements. Watch for news below!

Migration History
Fall 2010, First Migration: Many of the eastern flock began migration from Wisconsin on November 20, and so did Crane #25-10 DAR (along with 22-10 DAR and 27-10 DAR). These three young DAR birds left without adult supervision! How would they know where o go? Luckily, veteran migrators #313 (13-03) and #318 (18-03) caught up with the youngsters along the Mississippi River, and the group rejoined the migration corridor. On Nov. 24 they were in Greene County, Indiana, in the same area as one of the family groups from the flock. Young 25-10 (DAR) was then reported in Cherokee County, Alabama until at least January 26, along with crane pair #211/#830 and also 22-10 (DAR), 27-10 (DAR), 19-10 (DAR) and 37-09 (DAR). The group moved to Madison County, Alabama, where trackers found them on Feb. 4. They remained at least through Feb. 14.

Spring 2011: Left Madison County, Alabama sometime between Feb. 18-22 in a group with #211 and #830 and cranes 37-09 (DAR), 19-10 (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. The three DAR youngsters moved by April 2 to Dodge County's Horicon Refuge with #828.

Fall 2011: Wintered in Greene County, Indiana with #19-10 (DAR).

Spring 2012: Crane #25-10 departed Greene County on migration on March 27. That day, tracker Eva took this aerial photo (below): "Here he is hanging out on a muskrat mound, earlier on the day he took off for the summer nesting grounds." He began hanging out with #919 (#19-09) by mid May. These two males stayed on and near Necedah NWR throughout the summer.

Fall 2012: Males DAR #25-10 and #919 (#19-09) were reported on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in LaCrosse County, Wisconsin on October 25 and apparently began migration from this location. They were discovered in Gibson County, Indiana, on Nov. 21, where they remained throughout the winter. Also present there were pairs #512/722 and 216/716.

Spring 2013: #25-10 and #19-09 began spring migration from their wintering location in Gibson County, Indiana, between April 1 and 3 and were not yet documented back on Necedah NWR as of April 5.

Back to "Meet the Flock 2010"

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