Whooping crane no longer on brink of extinction

After a 100-year absence, the whooping crane is on the verge of making a huge comeback. On the brink of extinction in the 1940s, the tallest bird in North America has received an assist from the technological assets of mankind, as the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership has orchestrated its reintroduction to the wild.

The WCEP is using four ultra-light aircraft to lead 14 endangered, whooping-crane chicks on a 1,285-mile migration from the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin to Chassahowitzka and St. Marks NWR along Florida's Gulf Coast. From the egg to the nest, chicks hear a recording to simulate the ultra-light engine; in lieu of parents to lead the way the chicks have to rely on the aircraft.

The cranes and crew arrived in Winnebago County this week and will eventually pass into LaSalle County. After a decade of studying and planning, there are currently 69 migratory whooping cranes in the wild in eastern North America. 

“We’ve been able to safeguard the species from extinction,” Operation Migration Director of Operations Liz Condie said from a farm camp in Winnebago County on Wednesday.

In addition to the 14 birds being led south by the ultra-light aircraft, six other birds were released in the company of older cranes in the hope that they can learn the migration route from the more experienced birds.

The ultralight-led flock from Necedah NWR will pass through Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia to reach the final destinations in Florida. For the first time the birds will be led through southern Illinois and eventually the state of Alabama before turning east into Florida.

The International Whooping Crane Recovery Team has set the target for this reintroduction at 125 individuals including 25 breeding pairs. Once the target numbers are reached, the population is considered to be self sustaining.