[mou] Whooping Crane update (experimental eastern population)

[Robert_Russell@fws.gov]

Thought you all might be interested in an update on the introduced flock of
Whooping Cranes provided by Richard Urbanek, USFWS crane biologist and
Laura Fondow, crane researcher and International Crane Foundation
technician.

36 cranes went south last fall.  25 including seven yearlings returned to
the core introduction area vicinity Necedah National Wildife refuge in
Wisconsin.  One 3-year old female returned to the Horicon region.  Eight
yearlings blown off course by strong westerlies ended up in Michigan's
Lower Peninsula and are usually in suitable wetland habitat in the northern
and western portions of the LP.  One second-year bird was last seen heading
north from Lake County, FL on Apr 6 and another was last seen heading north
in NC IL on 16 Apr.  Presumably these latter two birds are somewhere in the
Upper Midwest.  If you think you may have seen the missing birds, please
call me at 612-713-5437 or contact the International Crane Foundation in
Baraboo, WI and we will notify the crane biologists.  Breeding is not
expected until next year but pairing appears to have occurred already in at
least one case so we may be within a year of two of seeing Whooping Cranes
breeding again in the Midwest after more than a century of absence from the
Midwest.  The survival rate of the introduced whoopers of more than 80% is
astounding and a tribute to the dozens of dedicated folks involved in this
program, especially the state DNRs along the route, the International Crane
Foundation, Operation Migration, Necedah and Chassahowitzka NWRs (FL), the
Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, many state, Federal, and NGO biologists, and many landowners
and private donors that have contributed to this program through funding,
aerial tracking, or allowing the cranes and accompanying ultralight
airplanes to utilize their property.  Bob Russell, US Fish and Wildlife
Service, Ft. Snelling, MN.