George Archibald, a co-founder of the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, is marking 40 years of work, with new hopes for the whooping crane migration experiment in Wisconsin.
Archibald says it's thrilling that the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership now has more than 100 “whoopers” migrating between Wisconsin and the southeastern United States, but the program hasn't had as much success with adult cranes successfully rearing crane chicks.
Archibald says it appears black flies near the pristine waters at the Necedah Wildlife Refuge are driving too many cranes there from their nest. This year, says Archibald, 19 of the 20 nesting pairs of cranes abandoned their nests after the black flies hatched.
“So only one pair was successful and they were actually a re-nest and actually fledging a chick this year, says Archibald. “So that is not significant in creating a self-sustaining population.”
Archibald says it appears that agricultural runoff into the waters of and near Horicon Marsh kills black fly larvae, and so maybe the young birds raised in that region over the last couple years will do better when they start to breed next year.
“The birds will not be driven from their nests by the black flies,” says Archibald. “But we had no idea this would be a problem when we put the cranes in what we thought would be the most pristine area of Wisconsin in 2001.”
Archibald says he also has a bit of concern about the adult bird’s typical migration route. Kentucky has begun a hunting season for sandhill cranes, and Tennessee is about to start one. Archibald says there will be more education needed to help hunters know the difference between sandhills and whoopers.
The International Crane Foundation does work worldwide, and has a sold-out fundraiser in Milwaukee tomorrow night and an event in Baraboo on Sunday. Archibald says people actually seeing the endangered whoopers back in Wisconsin helps open wallets.
