Whooping Crane Conservation Association

An article titled, “The Price of a Whooping Crane” can be read on the website “The Drinking Bird” (April 22). The author, “Nate” describes his concerns about the recent shootings of these beautiful birds and their values to us.

Nate writes:  “With all the time and effort that has gone into the reclamation of the Whooping Crane population, you might get the impression that this is a valuable bird and you’d be right in strictly monetary terms  The FWS has spent on the order of $6.1 million annually on Whooping Crane recovery.  Given the long lifespan of the birds, their low recruitment, and the fact that it takes nearly 10 years to build a population of 100 individual birds, we’re looking at an estimated outlay of something on the order of $126 million through 2035, according to published budgets . You would be justified in setting the cost of a single Whooping Crane, at minimum, at just over $12,000 per year.”

Nate continues: “Perhaps it’s not appropriate to think of the birds like that.  After all,  the population of Whoopers is more important than any individual.  But when the number of individual birds is so low it’s impossible to deny that the loss of any one bird, by natural or unnatural means, resonates in ways quantifiable and not.   Worth isn’t just something quantifiable, it’s the knowledge that the Whopping Crane exists somewhere.  It’s the adrenaline shivering through your veins at the sight of a line of massive white birds rising over a Kansas horizon, or dancing on a Texas saltmarsh.  It’s both subjective and objective in difference measures, but the bottom line is that it matters.”

To read this entire interesting article click on :   http://thedrinkingbirdblog.com/2011/04/22/the-price-of-a-whooping-crane/

— GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA

Jeanine Lackey, Fish and Wildlife Biologist,U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, compiled the following information reported to the Grand Island Field Office depicting confirmed whooping crane migration sightings:

Forty-five sightings have been confirmed in the central flyway since March 4, 2011.  In addition to the confirmed reports, the Service received 18 unconfirmed and 5 probable reports.  The breakdown of confirmed reports by state is as follows:

NE = 19 ND = 11
SD = 8
KS = 4
OK = 2
MT = 1

Mark Bidwell of Environment Canada reports that several birds have been confirmed in Saskatchewan.  Tom Stehn, Aransas NWR reported that two cranes were still present at Aransas on April 17, but those two birds were not relocated on subsequent checks.
During the Spring 2011 migration a large lateral movement of a single group of cranes was documented.  These banded birds roosted on the Platte River at Rowe Sanctuary and were confirmed using a restored wetland 26 miles due west two days later.  An interesting movement pattern.
Four of the radio tagged cranes have been observed on the ground thus far during the spring migration. One of these birds, radio-g/y, was confirmed in Kearney County, NE on April 5th and then confirmed again in Morton County, ND 4 days later.
Ms. Lackey and the Whooping Crane Conservation Association appreciates all involved for your hard work.

The Midwest Region External Affairs Office of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) issued a press release late yesterday describing the arrest and conviction of two persons who killed a whooping crane.

The release included this photo taken by Steve Gifford of a Whooping crane pair near the Patokah River National Wildlife Refuge in Indiana as they migrated south.

A tip from a local citizen led to identifying the individual who shot female Whooping crane #217 in Vermillion County, Indiana in 2009.
The crane killed by the shooter was the matriarch of the reintroduced Eastern Migratory Population who, in 2006, with her mate #211, produced, hatched and fledged the first wild, migratory Whooping crane chick (Wild1-06) in the U.S. in more than a century.
Wade Bennett and a juvenile of Cayuga, IN pled guilty and were charged and sentenced on March 30, 2011. Both received probation, and were assessed fines and fees for their involvement in the shooting of the crane.

Law enforcement agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources investigated the shooting of the crane. The crane, last observed alive by an International Crane Foundation (ICF) staff member on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009, was found dead by an ICF volunteer found on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, in rural Vermillion County, Ind.

In early spring 2010, a citizen came forward with information concerning the shooting of the crane. The citizen’s information was valuable to investigators during subsequent interviews of Bennett and the juvenile. Both Bennett and the juvenile confessed to their involvement in the shooting of the Whooping crane.

Observations reported by the public play a key role in solving wildlife crime, according to USFWS Special Agent Buddy Shapp. “People who live in an area notice details that can tell us a lot,” Shapp said. “They sometimes see something or hear something that strikes them as unusual but not necessarily criminal. People might not realize that their observation is significant.

Whooping cranes face monumental challenges in the wild; mortality due to predators and disease, and the threat of continued habitat loss. “The senseless killing of a Whooping crane by a human hand is inexcusable and entirely preventable,” notes Dr. John French, of the US Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, and a member of the US-Canada Whooping Crane Recovery Team.

With fewer than 400 Whooping cranes in the wild, every bird is important in our efforts to keep this species from extinction. This particular bird was extremely valuable to the recovery program and this unnecessary killing is a setback. It is encouraging there are so many citizens across country who continue to champion the whooping crane recovery, and can help prevent this from happening again,” said French.

In addition to the Endangered Species Act, whooping cranes are protected by state laws and the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Visit the web site to learn more about USFWS wildlife conservation efforts.

Tom Stehn, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge reports that, “The eighth aerial census of the 2010-11 whooping crane season was conducted April 13, 2011 in a Cessna 210 piloted by Gary Ritchey of Air Transit Solutions, Castroville, Texas with USFWS observers Brad Strobel, Matt Butler, and Bill Ostrand. Search conditions were good, and all portions of the crane range were covered in the 5.9-hour flight.”

Sighted on the flight were 7 adults and 3 juveniles = 10 total whooping cranes.

Adults + Young

San Jose – 2 + 1 = 3

Refuge – 3 + 0 = 3

Lamar – none

Matagorda – 2 + 2 = 4

Welder Flats – None

Total – 7 + 3 = 10

With only 10 whooping cranes remaining at Aransas and an estimated 269 in migration (flock size 279),

96.4% of the flock has left Aransas. Present at Aransas were two family groups (including a twin family) and 3 presumed subadults. This will be the last flight of the spring unless one additional flight is made in May to see if the 10 have departed. Tom Stehn report concludes by saying, “thanks go to Brad Strobel who has taken over the census flights as I wind down towards retirement sometime later this year.”

Now that the whooping cranes are mostly migrating from Aransas NWR, Texas, observers from various locations are filing reports of birds they spot. Jeanine Lackey,Fish and Wildlife Biologist,U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,Grand Island, Nebraska is compiling records of the sightings. Biologist Lackey has distributed the most recent whooping crane migration data that has been transmitted to the Grand Island Field Office.

There have been 37 confirmed sighting of whooping cranes along the migration corridor. In addition to these confirmed sightings the Grand Island office has received 15 unconfirmed and 3 probable reports.

During a census flight conducted at Aransas on April 13th, 10 whooping cranes were still present on the refuge. Therefore, 269 birds are currently in migration.

Whooping cranes are still confirmed on the ground in Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. A report just came in from Saskatchewan of a possible sighting but this has not been confirmed. The recent weather developments including 55 mph winds out of the NNW, snow, (a.k.a. blizzard) and rain have basically stopped cranes in their tracks.

And now for some recent news about Tom Stehn, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, long time whooping crane coordinator. Tom has announced his retirement “sometimes later this year”. The Whooping Crane Conservation Association has always enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Tom and his retirement presents a mixed feeling for us. Tom has always kept us informed by sending census reports, annual reports, special interesting stories and participating in our annual meetings. We could always count on Tom when we needed special information. So, for all these, and other reasons, we are disappointed to see Tom retire. But then, on the other hand, Tom has served the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and many others exceptionally well and he deserves to retire and spend time doing what he wants to do. So, Tom, whenever “sometimes later this years” arrives, we wish you a happy retirement and we sincerely thank you for all you have done for whooping cranes and those of us who love them.

The LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is working cooperatively with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Geological Survey, the International Crane Foundation and the LA Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit to restore the whooping crane within Louisiana.

The last Whooping crane nest in Louisiana  was found at White Lake, Louisiana  in 1939 . It is also the site of the newest whooping crane Reintroduction Program.

During 2010 eleven chicks were raised at the U.S.G.S. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD and transferred to the Louisiana reintroduction and release site in early 2011. The young birds were held in a pen where they could become familiar with their new surroundings.

The young whooping cranes were recently released from their pen to take their chances in the wilds of Louisiana. The video was taken as the pen doors were opened for the young cranes to be released into the wild:

For more details visit the Louisiana whooping crane reintroduction project web site

Jeanine Lackey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reporting from Grand Island, Nebraska advises, “folks in Nebraska have been busy, especially over the last weekend when favorable migration conditions produced an influx of whooping cranes. One large group of birds (19:2) was the source of much publicity and attracted a few photographers wanting to get extra close”.

Twenty whooping cranes were observed roosting in Central Platte River at Rowe Sanctuary and upstream. Several probable and unconfirmed reports from South Dakota and North Dakota were also received.  Reports from radio tracked whoopers indicate that all 11 birds are currently in the migration flyway and no tracked birds remain at Aransas.

Should a government shutdown occur next week, federal employees will not be allowed to use their government computer or phone.  Therefore, only cooperators using their personal equipment and time will be monitoring the whooping crane population. If the government shutdown does not occur, normal operations will continue.

article by Anne Paine and published in The Tennessean – March 10, 2011

A second Bald eagle has been killed in Tennessee in less than a month, this one east of Crossville, in Cumberland County. The other was found shot dead 30 miles away in Bledsoe County, the next county over.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating. The penalty is up to a $100,000 fine and up to a year in prison for a federal offense.

These join a rash of shootings of highly protected species, notably five federally endangered whooping cranes killed since Dec. 30 in two separate incidents in Georgia and Alabama. They were part of a small group of cranes that have been re-introduced to the wild — some learning to migrate behind an Ultralight aircraft through Tennessee.

Bald eagles are no longer on the endangered species list as their numbers grow, but they’re still a protected species under two separate federal laws.

An $8,500 reward is offered in each eagle case to the first person providing information that results in the successful prosecution of the person or people responsible.

Both eagles were mature with a white head and white tail. One was found in the Crab Orchard Community and the other near Big Springs Gap Road. Tennessee has 140 eagle breeding pairs, said Scott Somershoe, ornithologist with the TWRA.

Most Bald eagles, which primarily eat fish are found near lakes and rivers. It generally takes four or five years for birds to mature but many don’t start breeding until much older. They can live up to 25 years in the wild.

Anyone with information about the eagle found in Cumberland County is asked to call Special Agent John Rayfield at (615) 736-5532, or TWRA Cumberland County Wildlife Officer Casey Mullen at 800-262-6704.

Anyone with information about the other is asked to call Special Agent Bo Stone at (865) 692-4024, or TWRA Bledsoe County Wildlife Officer Mark Patterson at 800-262-6704.

Ed note: In the case of the two Whooping cranes found shot near Weiss Lake on the Alabama/Georgia border a reward of $23,250 is being offered for additional information leading to successful prosecution of the perpetrator(s).To provide information, call Special Agent John Rawls at 334-285-9600, or e-mail him at john_rawls@fws.gov
The USFWS is leading a joint investigation with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to apprehend the person or persons who shot the three Whooping cranes discovered in Calhoun County, GA on December 30, 2010. The reward in this case stands at $20,800 for any information leading to the prosecution of the perpetrator in this case. If you have any knowledge concerning the deaths of these cranes please contact USFWS Special Agent Terry Hastings at 404-763-7959 or terry_hastings@fws.gov

The sixth aerial census of the 2010-11 whooping crane season was conducted March 1, 2011 in
a Cessna 210 piloted by Gary Ritchey of Air Transit Solutions, Castroville, Texas with USFWS
observers Tom Stehn and Brad Strobel. All portions of the crane range were covered in the 6-
hour census. Flight conditions were excellent, though late afternoon sun made it difficult to find
cranes when flying towards the sun.

Sighted on the flight were 216 adults and 41 juveniles = 257 total whooping cranes. The
expanded range of the cranes on upland areas and movements to fresh water made it harder to
find all the cranes. At least five additional family groups and pairs (14 cranes) and 7 subadults
were estimated to have been overlooked.

Observations on today’s flight confirmed the loss of two additional whooping cranes so that
winter mortality in 2010-11 has totaled 4 cranes (3 adults and 1 juvenile). No carcasses have
been found, and cause of the deaths is unknown. On today’s flight, one group of 1 adult with 1
chick was observed on the G1 prescribed burn on Matagorda Island with no other cranes around.
Also, for the third flight in a row, the East Spalding Lake juvenile was not found, with just the
adult pair seen on the territory. With this mortality, the current flock size is estimated at 279.
The peak size of the Aransas flock this winter was 283.

On March 1st, one whooping crane was confirmed present in a flock of > 10,000 sandhills cranes
near Pampa, (north of Abilene) in the Texas Panhandle. It’s likely that what might have been
the same crane seen in January and February in Texas near Electra and Anson never wintered
at Aransas, but instead elected to remain with sandhill cranes in north Texas and has started its
migration north with sandhills.

Crane habitat use observed on the census flight (n=257):
160 of the cranes observed were in salt marsh habitat
40 were in shallow open bay habitat
21 were on prescribed burns
20 were at fresh water sources
9 were on uplands areas
7 were at game feeders

The continuing moderate use of prescribed burns and heavy use of open bay habitat is notable,
although cranes are finding low numbers of blue crabs in the marsh. Low tides are continuing
with over 70% of San Jose Island consisting of dry mudflats. Cranes are continuing to seek out
freshwater to drink because of high marsh salinities.

The fourth aerial census of the 2010-11 whooping crane season was conducted February 11, 2011 in a Cessna
210 piloted by Gary Ritchey of Air Transit Solutions, Castroville, Texas with USFWS observers Tom Stehn and
Brad Strobel. Flight conditions and visibility were excellent throughout the 6-hour flight.

Sighted on the flight were 238 adults and 42 juveniles = 280 total whooping cranes. With the addition of a
confirmed report on February 8th of a single whooping crane in north Texas east of Dallas in Jones County, the
flock size is estimated at 281. This breaks the previous high of 270 reached in the fall, 2008. The flock of 281
consists of 236 white-plumaged and 45 juveniles = 281 total.

Cranes observed:

* All-time high for Welder Flats, breaking previous high of 32 set in December, 2010.
** Although only 42 chicks were observed, an estimated 3 others may not have been identified due to their
whiter plumage this time of the winter, or else were not picked out in large groups on prescribed burns.

Crane habitat use observed on the census flight (n=280):
111 of the cranes observed were in salt marsh habitat
71 were on prescribed burns
73 were in shallow open bay habitat
22 were on uplands areas
3 were at a game feeder
0 were at fresh water sources

The 73 whooping cranes in shallow bay habitat and the 65 cranes on prescribed burns were both notable.
The prescribed burns have changed the distribution of cranes on the winter range, with many cranes moving to
the 2 refuge burns from different parts of the wintering area. 

The low tides present on today’s flight contributed to the amount of open bay use observed. Much of San Jose
Island consisted of dry mudflats. This is normally a tougher time of the winter for whooping cranes to find
adequate food resources, and this winter is no exception as evidenced by increased use of uplands, burns, and
open bay habitat during the flight. However, observations continue of cranes catching a few blue crabs.

Tom Stehn, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) today announces the release of a comprehensive Five Year Strategic Plan for the reintroduction of a migratory population of Whooping Cranes to the eastern United States.  

The partnership, in its tenth year, underwent an external review in 2010 leading to the development of a revised Strategic Plan that outlines project goals and guidelines for 2011 – 2015. The Five Year Strategic Plan is available at the Partnership’s Web site, http://www.bringbackthecranes.org/design/pdf/WCEP_5YearStrategicPlan.pdf 

The effort over the past ten years to reintroduce migrating cranes has been very successful, with a current population of about 100 birds in the Eastern migratory flock. The new Five Year Strategic Plan shifts the focus of the partnership to balancing reintroducing new birds to the population with understanding and promoting successful reproduction by older birds at levels that will lead to the establishment of a self-sustaining population.  

The primary focus of WCEP over the next five years will be on achieving successful reproduction in the wild flock by overcoming the current pattern of nesting failures through management of released and wild-hatched birds, while continuing to promote growth of the population through releases of captive-reared birds. Key to this effort will be identifying the factors that are contributing to the nest failure, and identifying management actions that address those factors and promote successful reproduction. This effort is the highest priority of the partnership.  

WCEP researchers are currently conducting an analysis to determine the most suitable breeding habitat to target for future whooping crane releases. By April 2011, WCEP tentatively plans to identify specific additional release sites for whooping cranes and to seek landowner approval for releases in summer 2011. Since whooping cranes have been absent from the upper Midwest for over 120 years, WCEP plans to continue studying how reintroduced whooping cranes use the habitats they encounter following release. These data will refine understanding of the habitat requirements for whooping cranes in this region.  

Necedah National Wildlife Refuge will continue to play an important role in the reintroduction including enabling the research identified, and possibly to raise cranes for release at new introduction sites or to experiment with new release techniques. 

Whooping cranes reintroduced to the Eastern migratory flock are hatched at theU.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD., and at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI. To prepare captive young cranes for survival in the wild, chicks are raised by biologists under a strict isolation protocol meaning that handlers adhere to a no-talking rule and wear costumes designed to mask the human form.  

In 2001, Operation Migration’s pilots led the first whooping crane chicks, conditioned to follow their ultralight aircraft, south from Necedah NWR to Chassahowitzka NWR in Florida. Each subsequent year, WCEP biologists and pilots have conditioned and guided additional groups of juvenile cranes to Florida. Having been shown the migration route south in the fall, the young birds are able to migrate north on their own in the spring, and in subsequent years, continue to migrate on their own. In 2008, St. Marks NWR along Florida’s Gulf Coast was added as an additional wintering site for the juvenile cranes.  

In the spring and fall, project staff from the International Crane Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service track and monitor the released cranes in an effort to learn as much as possible about their unassisted journeys and the habitat choices cranes make both during migration and on their summering and wintering grounds.  

Most of the whooping cranes released in previous years spend the summer in central Wisconsin, as well as other public and private lands. 

Whooping cranes were on the verge of extinction in the 1940s. Today, there are only about 570 birds in existence, approximately 400 of them in the wild. There is one remaining wild population of about 250 whooping cranes that nest at Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Alberta, Canada and winters at Aransas NWR on the Texas Gulf Coast. A non-migrating flock of approximately 20 birds lives year-round in the central Florida Kissimmee region.  

Whooping cranes, named for their loud and penetrating unison calls, live and breed in wetland areas, where they feed on crabs, clams, frogs and aquatic plants. They are distinctive animals, standing five feet tall, with white bodies, black wing tips and red crowns on their heads.

WCEP asks anyone who encounters a whooping crane in the wild to please give them the respect and distance they need. Do not approach birds on foot within 200 yards; remain in your vehicle; do not approach in a vehicle within 100 yards. Also, please remain concealed and do not speak loudly enough that the birds can hear you. Finally, do not trespass on private property in an attempt to view or photograph whooping cranes. 

Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership founding members are the International Crane Foundation, Operation Migration, Inc., Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and National Wildlife Health Center, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, and the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team. 

Many other flyway states, provinces, private individuals and conservation groups have joined forces with and support WCEP by donating resources, funding and personnel. More than 60 percent of the project’s budget comes from private sources in the form of grants, public donations and corporate sponsors.