It’s exciting to see what some people are doing to save an endangered species. Recently my wonderful friends at Operation Migration (www.operationmigration.org) invited me to their fundraising dinner to speak to a group of “craniacs”—Whooping Crane supporters—at the annual Whooping Crane Festival in Princeton, Wisconsin. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to spread the word about wildlife conservation and preservation, even if it meant preaching to the choir! A warm and inviting audience of around 80 attended. Everyone had fun as I talked about birds and bird behavior and showed images of all sorts of bird species.
The Whooping Crane (Grus americana) is the tallest bird in North America. Measuring nearly five feet tall, it is pure white with black wing tips that are usually seen only during flight. There’s a red patch on top of its head, which is actually skin, not feathers.
Closely related to the much more common Sandhill Crane, the Whooping Crane was nearly driven into extinction due to unregulated hunting and habitat loss in the early 1900s. At its low point during the 1940s and 1950s, there were fewer than 20 Whoopers. It was then that the governments of the United States and Canada, along with a number of nonprofit organizations, thousands of volunteers and others, came together to help save this magnificent species.
By the mid-1980s the wild Whooping Crane population, which nests in Canada and winters in coastal Texas, increased to around 100 individuals. Several efforts were made to start a new migratory flock, but each failed. By the mid-1990s the wild population was up to 250 birds. All of these birds belonged to just one migratory flock that migrated over the center of the country. This was a problem because if a disaster struck the flock, such as a disease or tornado, the birds would be back in jeopardy. So the decision was made in 2001 to establish a second, eastern migratory flock.
Since then, eggs from the wild flock were removed and transported to Patuxent Research Refuge in Maryland and other captive breeding centers. Each year about 25 Whooper chicks were hand-raised and became ready to release into the wild. Technicians used hand-held puppets that mimicked the head and beak of adult Whoopers to prevent the youngsters from bonding to people as their parents. Later, the technicians would dress in white costumes and act like the parents. Once the chicks became full-size, another problem presented itself—the young cranes didn’t know they needed to migrate. This is when the heroic efforts of the people at Operation Migration came to the fore.
Each year, Operation Migration raises 6–20 young cranes in large fenced pens and teaches them to fly behind an ultralight aircraft flown by a costumed pilot, looking like a crane. In the wild, young cranes learn to migrate by following their family. In the absence of migrating adult Whoopers, my friends at Operation Migration act like the adult birds.
On the morning after my presentation, a group of crane supporters gathered at sunrise near the site where the birds were being trained to fly behind the aircraft. It was a clear, crisp morning, perfect for flying. Soon we could hear the aircraft’s small engine in the distance, and we watched as the ultralight landed behind a stand of trees. Shortly after, the aircraft lifted off with six young Whooping Cranes flying eagerly behind. As the aircraft and the birds gained altitude, they turned and headed right for our group. Soon they were flying directly over our heads! It was a glorious sight and so exciting to see the young cranes raring to go and following the aircraft!
I was multitasking at the time, photographing the training flight and also broadcasting a live radio show. You can listen to the podcast here and share in the thrill of seeing the comeback of this endangered species. It starts about 28 minutes into the broadcast: http://www.kfan.com/media/podcast-kfan-outdoors-KFAN_Outdoors/912-kfan-outdoors-26345990/.
Until next time…