Whooping CranesGrus americana

by: Laura Clayton

Youth Middle School

What is a Whooping Crane?• They are the rarest and

tallest bird in North America.

• With a long neck and legs, males can reach 5 feet tall with a 7 foot wingspan.

• Adults have white feathers, black wing tips, and a red crown.

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Whooping Crane calls

Whooping Cranes...

• reach a weight of 11-14 pounds.

• mate for life and can live up to 40 years in captivity.

• take at least five years to reach maturity.

• hatch two eggs, but only one will survive and be raised by the parents.

Where do they live?

• Whoopers live in North and South wetland marshes.

• They fly great distances migrating from their winter homes to the place they learned how to fly in the summer.

• They eat crabs, clams, and frogs.

Why are they so rare?

• In 1941 only 22 existed in the wild.

• They reached the edge of extinction due to loss of habitat, grasslands converted to farmland, and unprotected hunting for feathers and for food.

• Many people are working together in…

Conservation Efforts

• As an endangered species they are protected by law.

• Wildlife Refuges in Canada, Texas, Wisconsin, and Florida provide homes.

• By breeding in captivity, scientist hope to increase numbers.

• Operation Migration is an effort to bring back the cranes to the Eastern United States.

How does Operation Migration Work?

• Cranes are raised mainly by biologist and pilots in crane costumes and with hand puppets.

• This minimizes human attachment.

Trainers wear costumes to hide their human forms

• Dan Sprague is a biologist at Patuxent Wildlife Refuge

• Listen as Dan explains why he wears a crane costume.

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Who is Dan? Dan explains constumes.

They are taught to fly and follow an ultra light plane called a

“trike”

Pilots lead the birds south from Wisconsin to Florida.

So far it is looking good….

• In 2000, and experimental flight with sandhill cranes was successful.

• In 2001, Operation Migration successfully helped 7 whoopers migrate to Florida.

• In 2002, there were 17 cranes that began the journey led by three “trikes”.

Lets follow the journey.Eggs are incubated in Pautexet, Maryland.

While listening to ultra plane engine sounds….

• The baby chicks develop inside the egg for 30 days.

• They hatch in April and May.

Hatching is hard work.

Chicks need lots of energy.• The chicks are

ready to eat soon after hatching.

• The costumed handler dips the puppet into water and then into crane baby food.

Chicks are watched closely.

• By four days old the chicks can walk well.

Daily weight checks insure the chicks are growing healthy and

strong.

Daily exercise of walks and swimming develop strength.

Young cranes need to learn how to sleep in the marsh at night.

Young cranes follow trainers like they would their mother.

In early June, the cranes move to Wisconsin for flying lessons.

• Special crane boxes carefully transport cranes to their new home in Necedah Wildlife Refuge.

At Necedah, the yearlings from last years flow have migrated back!

• Five of the seven survived winter and have returned to their home.

• In nature, adults would try and chase the returning yearlings.

• Trainers dressed in tarps scare them away.

Special pens keep groups separate and predators away.

Banding identification is stressfull for both cranes and

trainers.

Cranes follow planes on the ground and are soon ready for

flying lessons!

After many days following the tike on the ground…

• The first group becomes airborne!!!

• The rest will soon follow.

They will fly as one flock together…

On their great journey south...

Lets hope that Operation Migration continues to be a

success.

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Whooping Crane

calls