Whooping Cranes Fly Away Home!

Five endangered whooping cranes, part of an experimental flock of cranes reintroduced to the wild last year by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) and Operation Migration returned to central Wisconsin yesterday following a ten-day migration of approximately 1,175 miles from Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.

Biologists Richard Urbanek with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Anne Lacy with the International Crane Foundation have been tracking the birds since April 9, when they began their northern migration from in Florida. The cranes crossed into Wisconsin at about 11:50 a.m. local time yesterday, entering through in Walworth county.

"The whole trip back has been so amazing and frustrating and difficult and joyous all at the same time, " said Lacy. "As a scientist, I only have time to think about following the signal and knowing where the cranes are. But then I get a moment to think about the hugeness of this project; these birds are soaring the eastern flyway, by themselves, for the first time."

"It has been an exciting year," said Larry Wargowsky, refuge manager at Necedah NWR "I thought I was amazed last year when the sandhill cranes made it back, but the arrival of these five cranes back to central Wisconsin has been nothing short of phenomenal."

The whooping cranes left Necedah NWR last October led by ultralight aircraft piloted by Operation Migration Inc.

The cranes and planes arrived at their winter home in Florida following a 50-day, 1,228-mile migration that took them through seven states. Eight whoopers started the trip south, but one died on the way and bobcats killed two near their winter roosting area. The return north is the cranes' first unassisted migration, guided only by their natural instincts.

"The strength of the instinct that drove these cranes to make this return flight so directly and in such a short time is amazing," said Darrell Bazzell, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "They've made it look easy compared to the efforts the partnership put out last summer and fall to raise, train and lead them to Florida. I think I can speak for all of us in Wisconsin that we're thrilled and look forward to more of these great birds in our sky in seasons to come."

The five whooping cranes have made the trip to Wisconsin much quicker than many expected, and while this is not uncommon for the existing wild whooping cranes, it was cause for excitement for the study's project members.

"The progress these birds have made is exciting," said Beth Goodman, project co-leader and whooping crane coordinator for Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "We knew existing wild whooping cranes were capable of crossing great distances on migration. However, these birds were an unknown, and to have them fly for six to eight hours each leg is exciting and rewarding to all of us."

Interior Secretary Gale Norton noted that the return of the cranes is the culmination of years of planning and execution by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. " The return of these cranes is truly a milestone in endangered species conservation and underscores the value of partnership among the federal government, private sector, states and local landowners in recovering species," said Secretary Norton. "The partnership provides a blueprint for future recovery efforts for other threatened and endangered species, and I am proud that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey continue to be a part of it."

The fact these whooping cranes are migrating independent of human-intervention is in itself a success for this first of many flocks to be reintroduced over the next decade.

"It's phenomenal to watch the progress of these birds," said Joe Duff, cofounder of Operation Migration Inc. and lead ultralight pilot for last year's migration. "On the way south, we struggled for every mile we could get, under some of the worst possible conditions. Then come spring these cranes show us it was all worth it, as they head back north on their own. It is very gratifying to all of us involved in this project."

These whooping cranes will be monitored throughout the summer and as they migrate back south in the fall in an effort project biologists hope will teach them new aspects of whooping crane behavior and migratory instincts.

"These past days all of us, I believe, have gained new perspectives on the crane flyway, from Florida to Wisconsin -- it is fascinating to see the roost sites, these little water bodies the cranes have found on their way. Wetlands are critical to their safety and survival. With each day, we discover the birds' next choices – it's so exciting," said Jim Harris of International Crane Foundation.

Eggs for this year's study flock are already being collected, incubated and hatched at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland.

The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership is a consortium private organizations, government agencies and private donors working to reintroduce a migratory flock of whooping cranes back into eastern North America. The ultimate goal of the project is to reintroduce enough whooping cranes to the flyway to establish a self-sustaining flock containing at least 25 adult breeding pairs. More than 60 percent of the project's estimated $1.8 million per year budget comes from private sources in the form of grants, private donations and corporate sponsors.

Founding members of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership are the International Crane Foundation, International Whooping Crane Recovery Team, Operation Migration Inc., National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U. S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and Madison Wildlife Health Center, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Many other flyway States, provinces, private individuals and conservation groups have joined forces with and support WCEP by donating resources, funding and personnel.