This spring, despite drought, a milestone event took place for the Florida reintroduction project. A pair of whooping cranes hatched the first eggs in the wild in the United States in 60 years! The male parent was raised by the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and the female by the International Crane Foundation. These isolation-reared birds hatched their first nest before their 5th birthdays. The eggs hatched 16 and 18 March. Between the first and second weeks post-hatching one chick was lost to unknown causes. The surviving chick was raised to near fledging before it was killed by a bobcat. At that time the whooper family's marshes literally dried up under their feet. The chick was not yet flight-capable so it suffered the fate of many Florida sandhill crane chicks during drought years. The whooper chick's death was due to natural circumstances and we were well aware early on that the odds were not in favor of the chicks' long-term survival.

But the season was a resounding success because this historic pair of whoopers showed us that whooping cranes raised in captivity and released into the wild can do what has to be done for this project to work --reproduce themselves. In past breeding seasons we saw whoopers form pair bonds, set up territories, and build nests. Last year 2 pair laid eggs but the nests failed due to natural causes. This year we identified 15 pairs, 3 nests with eggs, and one nest hatching. We were impressed by the successful pair's nest attendance and the fact that they hatched both eggs. We were impressed when the pair raised a chick through the first couple weeks of life, a time when the chicks are especially vulnerable to avian predators and other hazards. Again we were impressed with the parent's ability to raise the surviving chick almost to fledging.

When we captured the chick at 66 days of age for attachment of a radio-transmitter and quick exam, we found the chick's feather development to be more advanced than what we'd expect from the literature. Its flight feather development was similar to what we'd expect for a Florida Sandhill Crane at that age. Perhaps an abundance of food resources was responsible.

The parents seemed to have no problem finding enough food to keep the chick content. For several weeks post-hatching the parents fed the chicks many small prey items, including crayfish, small frogs, and aquatic insects. As the surviving chick grew, the size of prey items that the parents offered it grew. Snakes and aquatic salamanders became important in the chick's diet. Later in the chick's development, the parents and chick mainly ate an exotic "aquarium" catfish that had become naturalized in the marshes. We don't know the relative abundance of different sized prey items in the marsh as the chick grew and the marsh water level shrank. We do know that the parents raised their chick within a very confined area near the nest. They made several short journeys away from the nest marsh but perhaps 98% of their time was spent in an area of just a few acres of high quality marsh. Much more habitat was available to them but not used, perhaps because these adjacent areas were inhabited by other cranes. A pair of sandhill cranes hatched 2 chicks within sight of the whooper pair, less than 100m from them.

During this year's breeding season it was fascinating to watch the changes in behavior in the parents of the first successful nest. After years of watching whoopers in Florida we saw "new" behaviors that were brought out by their parental urges. After egg-laying they "locked in" on the nest. Even the bird that wasn't incubating at the time usually was within 200m. During incubation the male especially became more protective of the nest area. At his peak he defended the area against cranes, wading birds and even ducks. Both male and female showed an acute awareness of potential avian predators such as hawks, vultures, and eagles. They responded to these overflying birds by inflating their feathers, vocalizing, and running toward the nest if they weren't already at it. In the past we've never seen responses, other than an awareness, to these species. During parenthood the whoopers advanced to a new level of awareness and thinking that they had not experienced previously. Likewise, this project moved on to a level where we know for a fact that these birds can do what we had hoped they could.

The first-time whooper parents met or exceeded all expectations. More of the fifteen pairs we observed this spring would have nested, had there been better water levels in marshes. Next spring, if we have a normal or a wetter-than-normal year, we can expect great things from the Florida flock. At this time (early June 2000) the Florida flock numbers around 80 whoopers.

CRANE WORKSHOP A SUCCESS

Dale is not leaving the Recovery Program altogether. As many of you know he has been appointed as a board member of the Whooping Crane Conservation Association and will still be involved in Whooping Crane Recovery from that perspective.

The North American Crane Working Group would like to thank Dale for his past and continued dedication on behalf of the Whooping Crane recovery program. Thank you Dale.

PUBLICATION AVAILABLE

Jarvi, S.I., Goto, R.M., Gee, G.F., Briles, W.E. and Miller, M.M. 1999. Identification, inheritance and linkage of B-G-like and MHC class I genes in cranes. J. Hered. 90(1): 152-159.

The second driest spring in a century and the driest May on record resulted in extreme conditions for crane nesting. No late winter rains filled in the nesting areas and the area was 15" short for the year by end of May. We're talking parched! Nevertheless, a record high 21 pairs had active nests and two pair renested . One nest is still being incubated and a few more renests may yet be expected . There was extreme nest and chick loss but one chick is surviving. Among the highlights was the first nesting of an Audubon-reared bird, the use of a new CNA, and the nesting, if IDs are correct from partial band combinations, of the oldest first-time nester. An 18-yr.old female, Patuxent 616, nested for the first time and her mate wild-hatched #628, was nesting for the 1^st time since 1986. Two chicks had 3g radios implanted by Glenn Olsen in the chick mortality study. A late term egg and a chick were transferred to Audubon for rearing for release.

Two new crop units or food plots totaling over nine acres were built to provide extra food for cranes in the eastern Ocean Springs Unit.

The 3^rd Annual Gautier Crane Fest was held in March.

The first ever capture of a greater sandhill crane in the area was recorded in February. Caught using the coffin trap, the bird was marked with a FWS band and an orange color band above the hock. Please be on the lookout.

Over several months, three cranes died from entanglement or electrocution in a powerline north of the Ocean Springs Unit between a new roost and an established feeding area. The target section of powerlines and phonelines was buried by Singing River Electric and BellSouth with refuge in-kind labor assistance. The breeding female #243 and her radio-tagged chick were victim of predation (bobcat). This was first known record here of chick and parent killed at same time. In a bizarre incident, Crane #039 died from asphyxiation two days after capture (she looked fine upon release and was fixed moving during post release period). Necropsy at Madison reported a piece of corn stuck in trachea. Of great interest was the finding that this 10 year-old female had an oviduct but no ovary, and so would have never bred. The oldest known Patuxent bird, Crane #637, a captive-reared HY83 (that's right-17 years old) male, was found dead, probably of predation.

The refuge website has changed to http://mississippisandhillcrane.fws.gov

CANADA

Wood Buffalo Whooping Crane Breeding Season Update:

In May, 2000, 50 Whooping Crane nests were observed in Wood Buffalo National Park and surrounding areas. Forty eight of the nests were located in the park while 2 were just outside. In 1999 there were 48 known nesting pairs. There could be an additional nest or two present as well. One pair, in particular, that has nested in the past has not been seen on their traditional territory for the past 2 summers but they still winter at Aransas. Searches for this pair and others will take place in mid June in conjunction with the hatching success surveys.

TEXAS

An estimated 182 whooping cranes were present at Aransas in the spring of 1999. With the addition of 17 young that arrived at Aransas, the flock could have reached a maximum of 199 whoopers. The peak population of 188 thus represents a loss of 11 cranes (6.0 % of the spring, 1999 population of 182). At least one mortality is believed to have occurred in the fall, 1999 migration when a single adult with a chick was sighted in migration. One adult banded GwG-YbY (1987) died during the 1999-2000 winter. An estimated 187 cranes started the spring, 2000 migration.

Food resources were considered marginal during the 1999-2000 winter. Blue crabs were abundant in the fall, but declined rapidly. Almost no crabs were available in January and February. Use of clams and/or invertebrates such as mud shrimp or bloodworms in open bay habitat was observed. Wolfberries were available for the cranes in November and December. Acorns were available on prescribed burns which received heavy and sustained use. This use was correlated with the drop in blue crab availability. Except for portions of March, salinities were high throughout the winter so that crane use of freshwater sources occurred on a daily basis.

Adult cranes and/or potential pairs occupied 48 territories and/or use areas, three less than last winter. Thirty-six cranes were color marked (1 less than last winter), representing 19.1% of the population. Territories and/or use areas were located on the Refuge (21), Lamar (1), San Jose (9), Matagorda (13), and Welder (4). Cranes generally were found on the refuge (94), Lamar (3), San Jose Island (29), Matagorda Island (35), Welder Flats (26), and West Texas (1). The average of 94 cranes on the refuge, 27 more than last winter, resulted from cranes being attracted by refuge prescribed burns. Large flocks formed on the burns, including a record high of 32 cranes observed together January 21. Record highs for the 1998-99 winter were documented on the refuge (112) and Welder Flats (31).

MEXICO

We recorded 37,921 cranes in the 2 northern Mexican states of Chihuahua (37,627) and Durango (294). Cranes were recorded at 15 wetland areas and >97% were on 4 areas in northern and central Chihuahua: 1) Laguna de Babicora (26,000), 2) Ascension Valley (4,200), 3) Laguna de los Mexicanos (3,600), and 4) Laguna de Victorio (3,200). Ground surveys revealed that most cranes were the Lesser subspecies (Grus canadensis canadensis). As in previous crane surveys in Mexico, Laguna de Babicora was the most important wintering area (J. Wildl. Mgmt. 60:270-285).

21.5+ year-old Crane Recovered in Mexico: During our survey we visited the hunting lodge of Fernando Boyer at Laguna de Babicora, Chihuahua, and obtained a band (628-21255) from a crane shot by a hunter on 13 November 1999. The bird also had a blue plastic leg band. Information provided by the Bird Banding Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, showed that the crane had been banded by the Oklahoma Wildlife Research Unit on 5 April 1980 near Tryon, Nebraska. It had hatched in 1978 or earlier and was at least 21.5 years old when harvested.

WEST COAST

The Washington State Greater Sandhill Crane Recovery Plan is being drafted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife with financial support from the Working Group.

A newly established program will capture cranes in their wintering grounds, primarily in California, fit small radio transmitters to their legs and track their migration via satellite from their wintering grounds to their breeding grounds, in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia, and back. Once breeding, staging, stopover and wintering areas along the long migration routes have been identified, these areas will be evaluated for threats to the cranes. The primary threat is loss of wetland habitat due to draining or flooding. Other factors also play a role in the loss of cranes during migration, such as power line collisions. Blood samples will also be taken from the cranes at the time of capture for genetic research and research on diseases.

The Working Group promotes crane festivals in the wintering, stopover and breeding communities. A crane festival is held in Othello, Washington each March and another in Lodi, California each November. Other festivals will be organized.

Students and others will be able to follow migrating cranes on their computers. The satellite tracking maps and other educational material will be available over the Internet. Lesson plans are available for study units on cranes for all grade levels, K through 12. There is an international student crane art exchange which fosters contacts between schools and students in all the countries where cranes are present. A portion of the crane research supported by the Working Group will be undertaken by undergraduate and graduate students at West Coast colleges and universities.

The Working Group endorses and supports further federal and state support for existing crane research projects, assists other organizations in protecting crane habitat, promotes conservation on private lands and the study and management of the human dimensions of crane conservation.

Cranes are wonderful ambassadors for promoting conservation of wetlands as well as larger concerns, such as mutual understanding and respect along their international migration routes. They are all "our " cranes.

The Working Group is seeking individuals, foundations, corporations and other funders who are interested in supporting our programs. The group is a part of a not for profit organization and all support is tax deductible.

For further information please contact Tom Hoffmann in Seattle, thoffmann@hoffmanns.com <mailto:thoffmann@hoffmanns.com> or 206-286-8607.

CAPTIVE FLOCKS

USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, has had eight whooping crane pairs lay 51 eggs. Six of the pairs bred naturally, and two were artificially inseminated. There are 24 chicks being costumed reared and 7 being parent reared. One chick died of a respiratory infection, and one was euthanized because of severe congenital leg deformities.

The International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, Wisconsin, is costume rearing four whooping crane chicks, with two more eggs due to hatch shortly. In addition they are rearing two white-naped crane chicks, one black-necked crane chick, and one greater sandhill crane chick.

Other species being reared in captivity include 13 Mississippi sandhill crane chicks being costume reared for release at the Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, Louisiana. Two more chicks are due to hatch to bring the total to 15. Eight greater sandhill cranes are being costume reared at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, Necedah, Wisconsin, and an additional 16 greater sandhill cranes are being costume reared at Patuxent for an experimental reintroduction along a migratory corridor stretching from Wisconsin to Florida. These 24 birds will be trained to follow ultralight aircraft on the migration. Cooperators on rearing and training the chicks in captivity include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Operation Migration, the International Crane Foundation, and USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.