Noel Cutright posted this great news on the Wisconsin Birding Network today...
The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) has wonderful news to share! The first wild Whooping Crane chick to hatch in Wisconsin in over a century has successfully completed its historical fall migration, arriving in Pasco County, FL with its parents on December 9! Its sibling was lost to predation in September at the Necedah NWR. This young bird represents an important benchmark toward establishing a self-sustaining, breeding migratory population of Whooping Cranes in eastern US.
In other great news, all 4 Direct Autumn Release (DAR) Whooping Cranes from this year have successfully completed their migrations to FL, arriving on December 8. These 4 cranes had been reared in captivity by
costume-clad bird handlers through the summer and released into the wild at the Necedah NWR this fall. The young birds successfully followed wild adult whoopers and sandhills on their migrations south. This is great news for the DAR project!
The 18 juvenile cranes following the ultralights of Operation Migration are within 250-mi of their FL destination and should arrive soon. They are on Day 69 of their migration. All of the wild adult Whooping Cranes have left WI and are spread among several states. Many of the adult whoopers have arrived in FL. The wild population now numbers 65 birds plus the 18 following ultralight aircraft.
Noel Cutright, Ozaukee County
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Eagle Optics is a proud corporate sponsor of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership!