Lift Off!
A small flock of young whooping cranes led by three ultralight aircraft lifted off from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin near dawn today in an effort to restore migrating whooping cranes to eastern North America. The cranes will be taught a new 1,200 mile migration route to wintering grounds at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. As in last years study using sandhill cranes, the young whoopers are expected to return to Wisconsin on their own next spring.
"This is an exciting day for North American conservation." said Marshall Jones, Acting Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Today, we began the first ultralight-led migration in history with only whooping cranes, which is itself a milestone. The outcome of any experiment is uncertain, but we start this migration with an expectation of success."
The reintroduction is part of an ongoing recovery effort for the highly imperiled species, which was on the verge of extinction in the 1940s and even today numbers only about 260 birds in the wild. The continents only migratory population of whooping cranes winters at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas Gulf Coast and is vulnerable to a catastrophic event such as a major hurricane, disease or oil spill. This reintroduction would not only restore the whooper to part of its historic range but also provide another geographically distinct migratory population that could lead to downlisting and eventual recovery.
In 1998, a coalition of State and Federal governments and the private sector formed the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership to coordinate and fund last years sandhill crane study and this years whooping crane study. Over 35 private landowners have volunteered their property as stopover sites for the cranes and migration team. A temporary pen keeps the cranes safe from predators between each mornings flight. The migration is expected to take from five to seven weeks.
"This project never would have gotten off the ground, literally, without the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, the private landowners, corporations whove donated resources and the support of the public in the twenty-state project area." said Jones. "Its a real tribute to the difference that early collaboration and cooperation makes."
"We started training ten birds in April." said Joe Duff, lead pilot, trainer and co-founder of Operation Migration Inc. "Those remaining in the study were selected for their overall suitability in terms of strength in flying and successfully following the aircraft. We are prepared for the possibility that not every bird will complete the full migration."
The whooping crane, named for its loud and penetrating call, is one of Americas best known and rarest endangered species. This species lives and breeds in extensive wetlands, where it feeds upon crabs, clams, frogs, and other aquatic organisms. Whooping cranes stand 5 feet tall and are pure white in color with black wing tips and a red crown.
Never very numerous, whooping cranes were thought to number historically between 700 and 1,400 in North America, before unregulated hunting and habitat destruction caused the population to plummet to a low of 16 birds in 1941. There are currently 174 birds in the only natural remaining wild flock, which breeds in Canada and winters on the Texas gulf coast, at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. A second non-migratory flock of approximately 75 lives year round in central Florida, as part of a separate and ongoing reintroduction effort.
In recent decades, the only remaining natural whooping crane population has slowly increased as a result of conservation efforts. However, the species survival is still in question, due to the threat of accidental collisions with wires and fences, extreme weather events, possible oil and chemical spills, and numerous other threats. The species is particularly vulnerable on its wintering grounds along the Texas Gulf Coast due to the large percentage of the population occurring within a small area.
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, USGS/Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and Madison Wildlife Health Center, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Many other flyway States, provinces, tribes, private individuals and conservation groups have joined forces with and supported WCEP by donating resources, funding and personnel.
Departure Contacts:
Chuck Underwood, USFWS 904-910-6254
Jennifer Rabuck, USFWS, 608-565-4412
Joan Guilfoyle, USFWS, 612-810-6797
On the road cell phone: 612-868-9851
Recorded daily updates: 612-713-5311
