A Species on the Brink: Whooping Crane Recovery

by Joe Duff and Elaine Secord

Photos: © Operation Migration ranes have existed for 60 million could eradicate the entire species from the years. However, by the winter of wild. C1945, the total Whooping Crane Whooping Cranes generally mate for population had dwindled to just 21 birds. life and are known for their unique Whooping Cranes were on the verge of courtship dance of leaps, bows, and the extinction. Sixty years later they remain an ruffling of feathers. They breed in marshes endangered species, but thanks to years of and shallow ponds, constructing nests of innovative and collaborative efforts, they bulrush, sedge, or cattail. The risk to the could be poised for a dramatic and species is exacerbated by their slow rate of surprising comeback. The inspiring return reproduction. Whooping Cranes may not of Whooping Cranes is due in large part to begin to breed until they are five years or the tireless efforts, investments, and older; each pair produces two eggs in a resourcefulness of countless individuals clutch, and most often only one chick will and organizations. Today, a reintroduction fledge. In 1967, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife program is bringing these birds back to the Service (USFWS) and the Canadian eastern part of their historic range for the Wildlife Service launched the first first time in over a century. Whooping Crane captive breeding Whooping Cranes are extraordinary program. Eggs from Wood Buffalo National Whooping Cranes breed in shallow marshes where fish, and majestic birds that stand 1.5 metres Park were transported to the Patuxent crustaceans, and insects form a large part of their diet. Les (five feet) high and have wingspans of 2 Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Grues blanches nichent dans des marais peu profonds où le metres (six feet). They once nested Maryland, with the goal of rearing poisson, les crustacés et les insectes représentent une large throughout a large area that extended from additional birds for release into the wild. part de leur régime alimentaire. Ohio to Great Slave Lake, Northwest In the early 1970s, the International and learn the skills needed to survive in the Territories. From an estimated historical Whooping Crane Recovery Team was wild is a delicate, challenging task. The level of over 10,000 birds, global formed to help safeguard the species from young Whooping Cranes successfully Whooping Crane numbers dwindled to extinction. Part of the recovery plan was to learned survival skills from their foster approximately 1500 birds by the late 1800s establish two additional flocks that were parents, but unfortunately they did not ever as a result of hunting, egg collection, and geographically separate, so that disease or pair off and breed – likely because their habitat loss to agriculture. By 1941 there natural disaster would not affect the entire imprinting resulted in a desire to mate only were only 21 Whooping Cranes left in the population. Conservationists had long with Sandhill Cranes. world – 6 of them in a non-migratory wished to establish a migratory flock In 1993, the recovery team established population in Louisiana, and the rest in a separate from the WB-A population, but a new population that would remain in migratory flock breeding in Canada’s Wood they faced a daunting challenge. Like many central Florida year-round using offspring Buffalo National Park (in Northwest migratory birds, Whooping Cranes discover from captive breeding facilities. The new Territories and northern Alberta) and their flyways by following their parents. non-migratory flock in the Kissimmee wintering at the Aransas National Wildlife Who could teach captive-reared Whooping region began with the 1993 release of 14 Refuge on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Cranes their migration route? captive-raised Whooping Cranes. This Since the late 1940s, when a hurricane Researchers first experimented in the flock now includes over 50 birds. Although wiped out the Louisiana population, the 1980s and 1990s by placing Whooping the Florida population has been slow to Wood Buffalo-Aransas (WB-A) population Crane eggs in Sandhill Crane nests with the reproduce on its own, this group has fledged has supported the last wild Whooping hope of starting a new migratory population a total of eight chicks in the wild – including Cranes. With the sole remaining group that would winter in New Mexico and breed a record four chicks in 2006. limited to one breeding area and one in Idaho and Wyoming. Raising captive In 2001, an attempt to establish a wintering area, a single catastrophic event birds so they maintain their natural instincts second, but migratory population was

4 BIRDWATCH CANADA un jeuneoisilloncomments'alimenter On utiliseunemarionnettedeGrueblanchepourmontrerà A cranepuppetisusedtoteachayoungchickhoweat. migration versleuraired'hivernageenFloride. grounds inFlorida.UnebandededixGruesblanchessuitl'ultralégeràpartirNecedah,Wiscon A flockoftenWhoopingCranesfollowstheultralightfromNecedah Whooping Crane EasternPartnership scope ofone or a monumentalundertakingand beyondthe reintroduction ofanendangered speciesis captive-bred Whooping endangered migratoryspecies, including “mechanical parentingtechnique” for decade researchinganddevelopinga Migration in1994andhadspentalmosta non-profit or Home recounted inthe1996movie in 1993usingultralightaircraft(as of CanadaGeesefromOntarioto Lishman, whohadsuccessfullyledaflock Canadian teamofJoeDuf for teachingthebirdstheirmigrationroute. and auniquesolutionwasbeingexplored imprinted oncaptive between central Gulf Coast. launched. Conducting asuccessful In 2000,theUSFWSapproached ). LishmanandDuf This flockwouldmigrate This timethechickswouldbe ganization Operation W isconsin andFlorida’ ganization, so the Whooping Cranes Cranes. . f foundedthe f andBill Fly A V ir ginia way s W extensive wetlandsofNecedah National already complexproject.In the end, winter intheU.S.addedmany layerstoan Reintroducing birdsineastern Canadato Chassahowitzka National as thereintroduction site,while or government agencies,non-profit cooperation betweenmulti-level shining exampleofinternational From anoutreachstandpoint,itisalsoa element toaccomplishacommongoal. of nineagencieseachprovidinganecessary (WCEP) evolved.Itisanadhocassociation with the the easttoavoidanypossibilityofmixing wintering area. population, andtoidentifyasuitable the reintroductionofbreeding The firststepwastofindasitesuitablefor veterinary careandwildliferegulations. sub-teams thatdealwithissuesasdiverse , Wisconsin,ontheirfirstjourneytowintering ganizations, andprivateindividuals. ildlife Refugein W ithin thepartnershiptherearesix W ood Buf The newroutehadtobein W isconsin werechosen falo/Aransas flock. sin, lorsdeleurpremière W ildlife Refuge W Whooping Craneshaveminimale s'assurer quelesjeunesGruesblanchessonte Les travailleursenfilentcapeetcapuchonafinde le moinspossibleauxhumains. and equipment. caretaking activities, humanstructures, as possible,thebirdsareshielded from is permittednearthebirds,and asmuch puppets andcranecostumes. No talking rearing protocolinvolvingthe useof the handlersfollowastrict isolation- minimizing humancontact. their naturalfearofpeopleby wild, everyef would beessentialforsurvivalinthe Because aninstincttoavoidhumans and rearedatthePatuxent 2001. Eachyear first releaseof runs withSandhillCranesbeforethe conducting migrationstudiesandtrial reintroduced, endangeredspecies. became thenewhomefora would losecontroloftheirpropertyifit way werejustifiablyconcernedthatthey route, andsomelandownersalongthe refuges onbothendsoftheirmigration themselves entirelytothewildlife unlikely thatallthebirdswouldconfine the birdsaswelltheirhabitat.Itwas and theEndangeredSpecies Act addsanotherelementofrestriction, lines, theCanada/U.S.MigratoryBird transport ofprotectedfaunaacrossstate U.S., theLacey imprinted onadult Research Centerwheretheywere its rangeincludeshalfthecountry from manyjurisdictions,particularlyif species requiresanumberofpermits locations. states and1250milesbetweenthesetwo potential winteringarea. in Floridawasselectedasagood ork ers doncloaksandhoodstoensurethatyoung Several yearswerespent Reintroducing anendangered fort wasmadetoretain , chickswerehatched WINTER 2007,NUMBER 38 Whooping Cranesin Act prohibitsthe Whooping Cranes. xposure tohumans. There areseven At Patuxent, Act protects W xposées . Inthe ildlife

5 SPECIAL REPORT FEATURE Familiarization with their ultralight aircraft ‘parents’ begins early, with newly Late Breaking News hatched chicks and even pre-hatching eggs exposed to recordings of aircraft engine ighteen juvenile Whooping sounds. Before they fledge, the Whooping Cranes successfully completed Crane “colts” are shipped via private Etheir first migration from aircraft to the Necedah National Wildlife Wisconsin to Florida in late 2006. Refuge, Wisconsin, for further Tragically, 17 of them perished in the conditioning and flight training. violent storms that hit central Florida on On 17 October 2001, an ultralight and February 2, 2007. A single severe weather eight Whooping Cranes set out from event can still have a devastating impact Necedah for their first journey south to on the Whooping Cranes. To ensure the Florida’s Chassahowitzka National ultimate survival of this endangered Wildlife Refuge. One of the chicks died species, the establishment of that month when it hit a power line during geographically separate breeding the trip, and two others were killed by a populations is essential. bobcat in December, shortly after arriving in Florida. The remaining five birds weather, disease, habitat loss, and including 145 in captivity, well over 200 in survived the winter and returned on their fluctuations in water levels and food the WB-A population, over 50 in the central own to central Wisconsin the following availability are ever-present threats. Florida non-migratory group, and 90 or spring. Unlawful hunting and accidental shooting more in the Wisconsin/Florida migratory Each fall since 2001, project biologists incidents (where Whooping Cranes were flock at the time of writing. Conservation and pilots have trained and led additional mistaken for Sandhill Cranes) have efforts appear to be succeeding, but only groups from Necedah to Chassahowitzka. occurred in recent years and perpetrators time will tell. If the reintroduced eastern Each spring in increasing numbers, these are subject to heavy fines and even jail time. migratory flock can become fully self- new migratory Whooping Cranes find their Each migration is fraught with sustaining, the sky is the limit for the own way back north to Wisconsin. In 2005, obstacles and perils. Collisions with power Whooping Crane. To follow Operation the project added a “direct autumn release,” lines are the leading cause of death of Migration’s progress and to support this whereby juveniles learn the fall migration fledged Whooping Cranes. As well, important work, please visit route by following older members of the suitable resting sites are being lost to www.operationmigration.org . flock. Both of these release techniques will development, making migration stopovers continue for the foreseeable future. more difficult. Joe Duff is the co-founder and CEO of May 2006 marked the first time chicks In his “Whooping Crane Recovery Operation Migration. hatched from eggs produced by the Activities” report for April-September Wisconsin/Florida flock. In all, five 2006, Whooping Crane Coordinator Tom Whooping Crane pairs nested in Wisconsin Stehn of the USFWS outlines several land in 2006, but due to inexperience, the first- development threats to the species. time parents abandoned the nests before Construction is imminent near the Florida their eggs hatched. Two of the abandoned wintering grounds for a new 776-house eggs were recovered and taken to the subdivision. A growing demand for water is Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, where threatening food supplies and freshwater they hatched. Subsequently, one of the inflows at Aransas, and construction of Necedah pairs renested and successfully power lines continues in the migration hatched two chicks – the first wild corridors. hatchlings in the United States in over 100 The Whooping Crane Eastern years. Partnership faces its own challenges, The causes of nest abandonment in especially in the form of budget shortfalls. Wisconsin will be studied in 2007 using The annual project budget must cover a video equipment. Scientists are also number of ambitious activities such as scrutinizing the genetic diversity of the census and monitoring flights, shipping of migratory flock. If the Whooping Crane eggs between captive facilities, genetic Eastern Partnership is to reach its goal of a testing, and the ultralight aircraft migration self-sustaining population of 125 birds flights. Finding adequate funding has been with 25 breeding pairs in eastern North an ongoing difficulty for project partners, America, the reintroduced cranes will need who must be increasingly creative to ensure to increase their reproductive success in the their work will continue. years to come. The remarkable comeback of the As of 30 September 2006, there were Whooping Crane is viewed by many as a 86 individuals in the Wisconsin/Florida symbol of hope for other endangered migratory population. On 5 October, an species. Canadian and U.S. agencies have additional 18 captive-reared young set out been collaborating for 60 years to prevent A wild adult Whooping Crane can grow to 1.5 metres tall, have from Necedah, following four ultralights Whooping Crane extinction. The global a wing span of 2 metres, weigh up to 7 kilograms, and can live for their first journey south. Whooping Crane population has rebounded 25 years. Un Grue blanche sauvage adulte peut atteindre une Whooping Cranes face a variety of from a one-time low of less than 20 birds, taille de 1,5 mètres, avec une envergure d'ailes de 2 mètres, natural and human hazards. Predation, bad and now numbers close to 500 birds – peser jusqu'à 7 kilogrammes et vivre 25 ans.

6 BIRDWATCH CANADA Une espèce sur la bonne voie : rétablissement de la Grue blanche

es grues existent depuis 60 millions d’années. Cependant, à l’hiver de L1945, la population totale de Grues blanches avait chuté à 21 oiseaux seulement et l’espèce était au seuil de l’extinction. Soixante ans plus tard, la Grue blanche demeure une espèce en voie de disparition, mais, grâce à des années d’efforts novateurs et de collaboration, sa population montre des signes de rétablissement. Aujourd’hui, un programme de réintroduction ramène ces oiseaux dans la partie orientale de leur aire de répartition historique pour la première fois depuis plus d’un siècle. Depuis la fin des années 1940, quand un ouragan a balayé toute la population de la Louisiane, le parc national Wood Buffalo dans le nord de l’Alberta et l’Aransas National Wildlife Refuge sur la côte du Texas ont accueilli les dernières Grues blanches sauvages. L’unique population restante se trouvant restreinte à une aire de reproduction et une aire d’hivernage, une seule catastrophe Grues blanches volant vers leur aire de reproduction au Canada. Whooping Cranes winging their way to their breeding naturelle pouvait entraîner une éradication grounds in Canada. de l’espèce à l’état sauvage. Les préparatifs visant l’établissement du migratrices retournent d’elles-mêmes en Au début des années 1970, on a crée nouveau troupeau migrateur ont également nombre croissant vers le nord dans le l’Équipe internationale de rétablissement commencé en 1993. Cette fois les oisillons Wisconsin. En 2004, on a tenté de faire un de la Grue blanche afin d’aider à sauver devaient être imprégnés par des Grues « lâcher direct en automne », alors que les cette espèce de l’extinction. Le plan de blanches captives et l’on explorait une juvéniles relâchés apprenaient leur route rétablissement visait en partie à établir méthode unique pour leur montrer leur route de migration en suivant les membres du deux autres populations de migration. groupe plus âgés. Dans un avenir géographiquement distinctes, de sorte que Le service de la faune des États-Unis prévisible, on continuera de recourir à ces la maladie ou une catastrophe naturelle ne (USFWS) a pris contact avec l’équipe deux techniques de lâcher. puissent pas toucher l’ensemble de la canadienne formée de Joe Duff et Bill Au 30 septembre 2006, la population population. Les spécialistes en Lishman, qui avaient réussi à mener une migratrice Wisconsin/Floride comptait 86 conservation ont longtemps souhaité bande de Bernaches du Canada de l’Ontario à oiseaux. Le 5 octobre, 18 autres jeunes établir une population migratrice distincte la Virginie en 1993 à l’aide d’un aéronef ultra élevés en captivité ont quitté Necedah en de la population de l’ouest, mais ils se sont léger (comme on le raconte dans le film suivant quatre ultra légers pour effectuer heurtés à un défi de taille. À l’instar de L’envolée sauvage produit en 1996). Lishman leur premier voyage vers le sud. nombreux oiseaux migrateurs, la Grue et Duff ont fondé en 1994 une organisation à Le remarquable retour des Grues blanche découvre sa route de migration en but non lucratif appelée Operation Migration blanches est perçu par de nombreuses suivant ses parents. Qui pouvait montrer afin d’élaborer une « technique mécanique personnes comme un symbole d’espoir aux Grues blanches élevées en captivité d’élevage des jeunes » pour les Grues pour d’autres espèces en voie de leur route migratoire? blanches élevées en captivité. On a passé disparition. Des organismes canadiens et En 1993, l’équipe de rétablissement a plusieurs années à mener des études de américains collaborent depuis 60 ans pour établi deux nouvelles populations en migration et des voyages d’essai avec des prévenir l’extinction de la Grue blanche. utilisant la progéniture de Grues blanches Grues du Canada avant le premier lâcher de La population mondiale de Grues blanches élevées en captivité. Le premier troupeau Grues blanches en 2001. est passé d’un minimum record de moins devait demeurer dans le centre de la Le 17 octobre 2001, un ultra léger et huit de 20 oiseaux à un effectif actuel de près de Floride à l’année longue, alors que le Grues blanches ont quitté Necedah pour leur 500 oiseaux, incluant 145 oiseaux en deuxième migrerait entre le centre du premier voyage vers le sud de la Floride, dans captivité, bien plus de 200 dans la Wisconsin et la côte du golfe du Mexique, le Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. population de l’ouest, plus de 50 dans le en Floride. L’un des jeunes est mort le même mois après troupeau non migrateur du centre de la Le nouveau troupeau de grues non avoir frappé une ligne d’énergie électrique Floride et 90 ou plus dans la bande migratrices de la région de Kissimmee pendant le voyage et deux autres ont été tués migratrice Wisconsin/Floride. Les efforts dans le centre de la Floride a pris naissance par un lynx roux en décembre, peu après leur de conservation semblent avoir porté fruit, en 1993, année où l’on a relâché 14 Grues arrivée en Floride. Les cinq autres oiseaux ont mais seul le temps le confirmera. Si le blanches élevées en captivité. Ce troupeau survécu tout l’hiver et sont retournés par leurs troupeau migrateur réintroduit dans l’est compte maintenant plus de 50 oiseaux. propres moyens dans le centre du Wisconsin devient entièrement autosuffisant, il n’y Bien que la population de la Floride ait le printemps suivant. aura plus de limites pour la Grue blanche. pris beaucoup de temps à se reproduire de Chaque automne depuis 2001, les Pour suivre les progrès d’Operation façon autonome, ce troupeau a produit au biologistes chargés du projet et les pilotes ont Migration et pour soutenir cette initiative total huit oisillons en milieu sauvage, y formé de nouveaux groupes et les ont conduits importante, veuillez visiter le site compris un nombre record de quatre de Necedah à Chassahowitzka. Tous les www.operationmigration.org. oisillons en 2006. printemps, ces nouvelles Grues blanches

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