Wisconsin wildlife update: Whooping Crane Migration and More

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• Recovery Of Whooping Cranes Is Wildlife Success Story

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  Often the declining state of some wildlife and controversial topics in wildlife management overshadow the success stories. But, Wisconsinites have played a significant role in the recovery and protection of one of the world’s most impressive birds, the whooping crane.

  David Drake, a wildlife specialist with University of Wisconsin Extension and an associate professor of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at UW-Madison, said the recovery of the whooping crane population is extraordinary.

  “The recovery of the whooping crane, which is an endangered species of bird … is one of the positive wildlife stories for certainly the past half-century or so,” he said.

  Down to just 15 birds worldwide at one point, Drake said that while the animals are still the object of large, coordinated preservation efforts, the whoopers have achieved an impressive recovery in recent years.

  One of the efforts to support the whoopers is “Operation Migration.” This involves an ultralight plane guiding whooping cranes on their migration between summer locations and their wintering grounds. An ultratlight is basically a motorized hang glider, and the birds are trained first to follow it on the ground and then, to follow it in the sky. And follow it they do.

  Drake shared that on Tuesday, he and his daughter were near their home in Dane County and looked up to see an Operation Migration ultralight with four whoopers trailing behind.

  “It was a stunningly fascinating thing to see,” Drake enthused. “We just stood there, mouth agape watching this.”

  The ultralight circled a few times and then landed at Pope Farm Conservancy in Middleton to let the birds rest briefly, and then, they were back on their way, he said.

  Drake said that nine whooping crane chicks are currently being escorted from the Necedah Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to Florida. He described the route as “kind of hopscotch(ing) down the country from Wisconsin all the way to Florida. They’ve got agreements with private landowners and some state lands between Wisconsin and Florida. They will stop every night and these birds will just follow this ultralight all the way to Florida.”

  “If you’ve never seen it before, it is quite the phenomenal sight,” he said.

  While spotting whoopers in the wild is a thrill, so is a visit to the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo. It’s the only place in world where each species of crane is represented, and the ICF has played a significant role in both the science and public education that an effort like whooping crane conservation demands.

  Jamie Nack, a wildlife outreach Specialist in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at UW-Madison, said she wanted to alert the public to an upcoming online chat focused on whooping cranes. The chat is set for Thursday, Oct. 31, at noon and open to all interested people. It’s sponsored by the state Department of Natural Resources.

  According to the Department of Natural Resources press release, “Partners participating in the online chat include Joan Garland, outreach coordinator for the International Crane Foundation, and Heather Ray, the associate director of development for Operation Migration.”

  To participate, visit the DNR website and look for the box on the right to enter the chat, or search the phrase “ask the experts.” People can also join the conversation on DNR’s Facebook page by clicking the “Cover it Live Chat” box on the top of the page.

  A slideshow of whooping cranes is available on the DNR site as well. To track the progress of the whoopers following the ultralight, people can visit the Operation Migration website under the In the Field tab.