WHOOPING CRANE RECOVERY ACTIVITIES
APRIL - SEPTEMBER 2005

 HIGHLIGHTS 

Production in Wood Buffalo National Park was very good with 62 chicks documented hatching from 58 nests.  Mid-August surveys found 31 chicks had survived, including 2 sets of twins. 

Forty-two whooping cranes make up the migratory eastern whooping crane population.  All but a few are following the correct migration corridor, with most returning to the core release area.  Nesting occurred for the first time in the migratory reintroduction as the initial cohorts of birds are just reaching breeding age.  Five pairs showed initial nesting behavior, and 2 pairs laid eggs at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).  Both pairs quickly lost their eggs presumably to predators.  Twenty-four additional juveniles are being trained to enter the population in the fall. 

Seven sandhill crane hunters that killed 2 whooping cranes last fall in central Kansas were each fined $3,000 and lost their hunting privileges for 2 years.  Following this incident, States increased efforts to protect whooping cranes during hunting season. 

The captive facilities had a very good production season, with 39 total chicks fledged.  Nine were held back in captivity for their valuable genetics to be future breeding stock.  Production was also used to supply 26 birds to the eastern migratory reintroduction which was very close to targeted goals.

SPRING MIGRATION 2005 

The following is from the Cooperative Whooping Crane Tracking Project report written by Dr. Martha Tacha, USFWS Endangered Species office in Grand Island, Nebraska. 

“Departures from Aransas in spring, 2005 appeared about average, with 180 cranes (84%) departing Aransas between March 23 and April 13.  Of these, 127 (57% of the population of 215) departed between April 6 and April 13.  All but one whooping crane, an injured juvenile, had migrated by April 27.  The injured juvenile that failed to migrate with its parents apparently recovered from its injuries and remained at Aransas during the summer. 

The first dates for confirmed observations of whooping cranes were March 12 in the United States and April 9 in Canada.  The last sighting date was May 25 in North Dakota (a juvenile), and April 29 in Canada.  Sightings were reported from Kansas (9), Nebraska (5), North Dakota (4), Montana (1), and Saskatchewan (13).  A cluster of 7 sightings in central Kansas from April 11 to April 13 likely were a result of increased activity of hunters and conservation officers associated with the opening day of turkey season in the state on April 13.  Duration of recorded stopovers ranged from 1 to 6 days, averaging approximately 1.7 days. 

The spring migration included notable sightings of adventurous (or unfortunate) lone juveniles.  In addition to the injured juvenile summering at Aransas, the earliest sighting (on March 12) was of a lone juvenile^A in Kansas, and the last sighting (May 25) was of a lone juvenile in North Dakota.  The longest stopover recorded this spring in the United States was also a lone juvenile in Nebraska (6 days, from April 28 to May 2), although there was also a pair of adults that spent 6 days in Saskatchewan, from April 10 to April 15.” 

^A  This juvenile had wintered with sandhills near Bay City in Matagorda County,  Texas. It had started migration apparently after all the sandhills had departed Texas.

 One whooping crane juvenile may have summered in North Dakota where it was sighted May 25 and an additional probable sighting reported in July. 

WOOD BUFFALO NATIONAL PARK 

Production in Wood Buffalo National Park was very good in 2005 with 62 chicks, including 14 sets of twins, documented hatching from 58 nests.  Water levels looked slightly below average and definitely were lower than optimal.  Fourteen pairs failed to nest but were present on territories, an unusually high number of pairs failing to nest.  There was little production from the Klewi marshes (6 fledged chicks), a location that usually is excellent but was notably dry at the start of the summer.  These observations supported the correlation between low water levels and poor chick production.  Heavy rains on June 16 and 19 put out forest fires in the Park and helped the crane habitat, but fell shortly after the chicks had hatched and caused some mortality of the young chicks.  Aerial photography was completed for parts of the new nesting areas by Jim Bredy and Chris Lohrengel of USFWS.

Mid-August surveys found 31 chicks had survived, including 2 sets of twins.  More unison call recordings were made of pairs.  At least 25 chicks are expected to arrive at Aransas this fall.  This should allow the population to increase, with 230+ whooping cranes expected to reach Aransas by December, 2005.  

ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, TEXAS 

The injured juvenile that failed to migrate with its parents apparently recovered from its injuries and remained at Aransas during the summer.  It has a scar on the back of its head where it apparently was hit, possibly by a snake or raptor.  After the injury, the head and neck of the juvenile had been very swollen, and the bird stopped eating and was lethargic for about one week.  His parents delayed the start of their migration to mid-April until the juvenile was eating.  This whooping crane was seen by the winning team that tallied 332 species in 5 days on the Great Texas Birding Classic held after mid-April.  The team also saw a sandhill crane on Galveston Island, and was the only team to see either crane species. 

The first phase of the Cedar Bayou dredging feasibility study neared completion in September.  Cedar Bayou is a natural pass from the Gulf of Mexico into whooping crane critical habitat and is important for the movement of blue crabs to complete their life cycle.  It has a history of silting shut and then being re-opened by tropical storms.  It is currently open.  The engineering study selected a preferred alternative that involves dredging along the mouth of Cedar Bayou, re-opening a channel from Cedar Bayou into Vinson Slough, and putting all dredge material about ¼-mile out into the Gulf to create a delta.  Funding has been applied for to complete the second phase of the study that will include engineering specifications and address permitting issues. 

CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR FEDERAL-STATE COOPERATIVE PROTECTION OF WHOOPING CRANES 

A group of 7 sandhill crane hunters was formally charged in September under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act with killing 2 whooping cranes in Kansas last fall.  The Act carries a maximum fine of $15,000 and 6 months in jail.  Through  plea agreements, each hunter had to pay a $3,000 fine, collectively pay $2,587 restitution for the veterinary bills for care of the injured birds, perform 50 hours of community service at the Quivira NWR, pass a hunter education course, and lose hunting privileges for 2 years. 

The shooting of the two whooping cranes led to renewed efforts to protect whooping cranes, including education of hunters.  Oklahoma held meetings with key folks to discuss implementation of the contingency plan.  The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department completed a “shoot-don’t shoot” video in September aimed at protecting whooping cranes and other non-game species.  Meetings between USFWS and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks were held in Kansas on April 18-19 to try to increase protection for whooping cranes in Central Kansas where the shooting incident took place and whooping cranes concentrate at Quivira NWR and Cheyenne Bottoms State Wildlife Area.  This meeting led to recommendations that were later adopted by the agencies involved.  Changes included: 

The contingency plan was implemented the last day in September when a single whooping crane showed up at Long Lake NWR in North Dakota in a group of sandhills.  Hunting on adjacent lands was underway with a firing line situation next to the refuge.  Personnel put up warning signs and made hunter contacts to urge hunters to know their targets.

CRANE CONSERVATION ACT 

The Crane Conservation Act was introduced into the Senate on April 28^th by Senators Feingold (D-WI) and Crapo (R-ID) to protect cranes and their habitats.  Co-sponsors included Senators Kohl (D-WI), Martinez (R-FL) and Sarbanes (D-MD). The bill would allow authorization of up to $5 million a year for five years for the conservation of threatened crane species and their ecosystems.  Under the Senate language 20% of all annually appropriated funds will be used in North America and 80% internationally.  The bill was moved forward this summer by sub-committee for consideration by the full Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. 

RECOVERY PLAN 

Work was completed over the summer revising the draft whooping crane recovery plan published in January, 2005.  Data was updated through August, 2005 with the revised documented finished on September 1.  Public comments were considered with many suggestions incorporated.  A formal response to comments was written and put into an appendix.  The final document is currently being reviewed by USFWS-Region 2. 

FLORIDA 

There are approximately 60 whooping cranes in the nonmigratory Florida population that continues to have problems with mortality.  No whooping cranes produced from the captive centers in 2005 will be reintroduced into the Florida flock.  The breeding season of the whooping cranes in Florida was disappointing.  From the 15 pairs in the population, 8 pairs made 11 nesting attempts.  Only 1 chick hatched but died at 6 days of age.  Water levels were good and sandhill cranes did okay, but the whooping cranes struggled.  Examination of bad eggs revealed either infertility or embryos that had died at an early stage of development.  The lack of genetic diversity of the reintroduced birds may be having a hand in this, but it is an unknown situation. 

Whooping crane pair 591/369, which successfully fledged 2 young in the past, failed to hatch any chicks this season. Their first nesting attempt of this season was interrupted by an unpaired whooping crane. The pair re-nested and then a big rain event flooded that nest. It was early enough in the season for another re-nesting, but it never happened.  Just after the breeding season the male of the pair was found dead.  Necropsy results indicate the bird died of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).  In the past, sick birds had been documented with serologic evidence of being infected with EEE.  However, this is the first confirmed mortality from EEE in this flock.  A re-introduced migratory whooping crane had also died of EEE. That bird died in northern Florida on December 11, 2004^A.

 ^{A (}Paragraph contributed by Marty Folk). 

Five of the Florida nonmigratory flock apparently took a “vacation” trip and were located at Ace Basin in South Carolina on May 25^th.  They quickly moved on and their whereabouts remained unknown.  In September, 1 from the group of 5 was confirmed back in Florida.

WHOOPING CRANE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP (WCEP)  

The migratory whooping cranes for the most part used the proper migration corridor and summering areas.  Of the 42 whooping cranes in the flock at the end of September, 35  had summered in the core release area in central Wisconsin on or close to the Necedah NWR, including 30 that usually roosted on Necedah.  Six cranes summered in southeastern Wisconsin.  Five hatch year 2003 cranes migrated off course in the spring of 2005, with 3 reaching Ontario and 2 reaching Michigan.  Those 2 in Michigan later made it back to Wisconsin on their own.  The 3 in Ontario separated, with 2 returning to Michigan where they had been last summer, and the third moving to Vermont and then New York.  The 2 birds Michigan were captured on June 30 and returned to central Wisconsin where they remained.  Three birds in late summer wandered from Wisconsin to central Minnesota.  One female released in 2001 continued to summer with no other whooping cranes near the Horicon NWR east of the core reintroduction area. 

Nesting occurred for the first time in the migratory reintroduction as the initial cohorts of birds reached breeding age.  Five pairs built nests and 2 pairs laid eggs at Necedah NWR.  Both nests quickly lost their eggs, presumably to predators. 

There were 3 mortalities between April-September 2005, leaving 42 in the flock (25 males, 17 females).  Total losses have been 11 birds out of 53 released starting in 2001.  Losses resulted from predation (7), powerline strike (1), capture myopathy (1), and 2 mortalities remain under investigation.  The bird that was directly released into the wild last fall and followed wild cranes to Florida died hitting a power line in Wisconsin in July. 

Twenty-six captive juveniles hatched in 2005 entered “reintroduction” schools.  Twenty-one hatched and trained at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center were transported to central Wisconsin by Windway Capital Corporation and trained to follow ultralight aircraft.  Five birds hatched at the International Crane Foundation were driven to Necedah NWR and will be released directly into groups of wild Wisconsin whooping cranes in the fall.  One crane from each “school” died during the summer, leaving 24 birds to be added to the wild population. 

Fall meetings of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership were held September 19-21 at Necedah NWR.  One of the decisions made was selection of a site called Halpata Tastanaki Preserve located about 25 miles northeast of Chassahowitzka NWR in Florida to use as a holding site for an indefinite period if older whooping cranes have not returned and cleared the release site at Chassahowitzka.  Windway Capital Corporation of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, was presented plaques of appreciation for all the work they do supporting whooping crane recovery.  They actively take part in transporting eggs between captive breeding facilities, fly captive juveniles to release sites, and also provide aircraft and pilots for tracking the eastern population in migration. 

The television show “60 Minutes” aired a segment on the whooping crane eastern reintroduction.   The segment featured Joe Duff of Operation Migration and what it means to fly with the birds with an ultralight aircraft and reintroduce them into the wild. 

CAPTIVE FLOCKS 

The year 2005 was very positive for the captive flocks with 39 total chicks fledged.  Nine were held back in captivity because of their valuable genetics.  This fully met the planned for flock expansion to meet genetic goals, although losses from health problems of a few additional very valuable chicks was frustrating.  Production was used to supply 26 birds to the eastern migratory reintroduction that nearly reached targeted goals. 

In the spring, weekly conference calls were held with flock managers to coordinate efforts to support reintroductions.  Eggs were transported to the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center from the San Antonio and Calgary zoos, the International Crane Foundation (ICF), and the Species Survival Center (SSC) in New Orleans in order to build up a large cohort of similar age needed for the ultralight training project.  Patuxent made modifications to pen facilities to handle the additional chicks and shipped some late eggs back to ICF.  These late eggs, plus others laid at ICF, formed the basis for providing a cohort of birds for the direct autumn release (DAR) project.  This project involves isolation rearing whooping cranes, getting them acclimated to natural habitat as much as possible, and then releasing them in the fall in Wisconsin into groups of older wild whooping cranes.   Birds that entered these reintroduction programs totaled 21 for the ultralight project and 5 for the DAR.  Each program lost one bird during the summer.  

The amount of effort and care that goes into captive breeding of whooping crane is phenomenal.  Efforts start in late winter with changes in diet, increase in photoperiods, and eliminating disturbance.  Artificial insemination (AI) is carried out on many pairs to ensure improved genetics of offspring and aid pairs unable to perform natural copulation.  Initial clutches are pulled and in most cases placed under sandhill cranes to get the females to produce multiple clutches.  Most eggs are later moved to incubators with all kinds of care performed.  Health care often includes assisting in hatching and treating various physical ailments of young chicks.  The environments of the chicks are carefully controlled to reduce disease threats, and chicks are exercised to promote normal growth.  All the breeding facilities are supported by excellent veterinarians.  Some of the highlights and needs of specific facilities are very briefly touched on below. 

WHOOPING CRANE SCORECARD - September 30, 2005

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