About the Whooping Crane Fall Reintroduction All photos courtesy of Operation Migration Getting Started Historic Times for Endangered Whooping Cranes On the brink of extinction, only 15 wild migratory cranes remained in the early 1940s. The fragile migratory population now has a hopeful future. With ultralight aircraft leading the way, a new wild flock of Whooping Cranes is being reintroduced to the eastern U.S. The goal is 25 breeding pairs from 125 birds in Wisconsin by 2020, with the introduction of 18-20 chicks each year. The project began in Fall 2001 and is now in its 7th year. (Photo Overview >>) Each year, new crane chicks are raised in captivity, trained to fly with the ultralights, and added to the new eastern flock. This year's new flock members are called the "Hatch Year 2007" birds. We follow their story from the day they hatched in spring, 2007, to the day they complete their first fall migration at 6 - 7 months of age. How and why do the baby cranes learn to follow ultralight planes? How many of the baby cranes will survive their first year? How much will the endangered population grow with this year's addition? How many of the whole flock—hatched from 2001-2007—will survive this year? This year also brings several chicks costume-raised and released to follow experienced cranes heading south. No new chicks were hatched within the flock in summer 2007, but the flock's only wild-born 1-year-old will be making her first migration south as a subadult. Our fall "Journey South" Web reports share daily migration progress as the cranes travel to their winter home in Florida. Our spring "Journey North" updates track these cranes as they travel back to Wisconsin all on their own. Every year is an exiting new chapter in the Whooping cranes' return from the brink of extinction! * A western flock of Whooping Cranes is the original, natural wild flock that migrates between Texas and Canada each year, as it has for eons. We'll follow their journey north next spring. Meet the New Cranes Make a Timeline Read Background Booklets Follow Daily Migration Reports Write in a Journal Map the Migration Predict and Compare >>  Learn About Survival Look Back at Migration History How Many Whooping Cranes Now? (The number of migratory whooping cranes as of fall, 2007) Western Flock Eastern Flock Journey North is pleased to feature this educational adventure made possible by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership This Season Teachers Kids Orientation Registration Search Copyright 1997-2008 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Questions or comments? Contact us.