Journey North Whooping Cranes

Meet the 2002 Whooping Crane Chicks!
Hatch-year 2002 of the Eastern Flock

Crane # 216

Date Hatched

May 17 , 2002

Gender

Male

Pre-migratory Weight: 6.0 kg.

Permanent Leg Bands

R/W
(left)

R/G/R
(right)

Read about the naming system, hatch place in Maryland, release site in Wisconsin, over-wintering site in Florida, and leg-band codes.

Personality and History (Scroll to bottom for current news)

Personality Characteristics: Always the runt as a chick, but grew to become one of the largest males. Good flyer. Third most-dominant male. As a chick he wanted to fight anything that moved, but later was a good, normal bird. One of the pilots' favorite flyers.

History:

Fall 2002: Completed the journey south with ultralights and the Class of 2002. During the first winter in Florida, Sara said, "He's a large male and is somewhere in the middle of the hierarchy, but is rather mellow and doesn't seek out challenges or fights."

Spring 2003: Left Florida on first journey north April 1, 2003 with 14 other whoopers and returned successfully to Wisconsin on April 13. Spent the summer about 15 miles from Necedah NWR with flock mates #217, 202, 211, 212 and 213.

Fall 2003: Began migration on Nov. 13 with six flock mates and #102. This group of eight arrived at the "Chass" pen site in FLorida on November 21, 2003. During their entire journey south, the group stayed together and was never seen migrating with sandhill cranes. This group moved to Pasco County shortly after arriving in FL. Five of them, including #216, split from the group and moved to the area of Pasco County that #101 and #102 occupied in winter 2002.

Spring 2004: Left on spring migration around March 13, 2004, together with #101, 102, 205, 208, and 217. PTT readings indicated the group roosted in SW Indiana on March 22, but moved to DeKalb County, IL March 23. The group arrived back at Necedah NWR on April 1, 2004.

Fall 2004: Cranes #216 (with 203 and 215) began migration from Monroe County, Wisconsin, on November 21. They left Greene County, Indiana on December 14. They roosted that night along a river in Davidson County, Tennessee. On Dec. 15 the trio flew to Limestone County, Alabama, remaining in harvested cornfields and floodings there until Dec. 23. Crane #215 then left them, but #216 and 203 arrived at the winter pen site on the afternoon of Dec. 28. Moved to a ranch in Lake County, FL for most of the winter.

Spring 2005: #216 Began migration with #203 during March 22-24. In summer and fall, he spent time with #303 on Necedah NWR.

Fall 2005: Began migration Nov. 17 with #303. They were tracked into northern IL, but their roost site was not determined. No further reports until they arrived at their old Florida pen site on December 14. They moved later to a ranch in nearby Pasco County, FL.

Spring 2006: #216 left Florida around March 6 with #303. They were reported March 19 in Tennessee. Male #216 and his mate, #303, were the only one of last year's breeding pairs that had not arrived on their territory in Central Wisconsin by April 7. #216 was reported that day in central Minnesota. The location and fate of #303 was not known until, amazingly, she turned up at Necedah NWR on April 12. The pair's separation may have been related to severe storms that occurred during migration. Crane #216 stayed in Minnesota for the rest of that week. On April 18 at 4:14 PM, he landed within his territory on Necedah NWR! His injury was apparent. Read what happened (video clip too). By April 20 he had moved to the Mill Bluff State Park area. On April 21 he returned to his territory at Necedah NWR and rejoined #303. The pair stayed together and returned to Mill Bluff on April 22. But he soon lost his territory at Necedah AND his his mate, #303, to young bachelor #408. Male #216 recovered during the summer and currently occupies the area adjacent to and east of his former territory.

Fall 2006: #216 left Wisconsin on Nov. 19 with #516 and 32-05 (DAR) and made it that night to SE Indiana. Both other birds made it to Florida, but #216 went off on his own path. He migrated successfully and was on his wintering area on a cattle ranch in Pasco County, FL in December.

#102 and #216 March 24, 2007 in Illinois.
Photo Dan Thompson

Spring 2007: He began migration March 5 (with #102). Crane #216 was found at Necedah NWR on March 26. He had separated from #102.

Fall 2007: Crane #216 joined with #303 and #317 around Necedah NWR on Nov. 20 and left with them on migration on November 22. He wintered in Pasco County, Florida.

Spring 2008: Began spring migration on February 29. He was first seen on the refuge back in Wisconsin on April 2. He has a nonfunctional transmitter, so it was a thrilling sight!

#216 (outside the pen) visited #735 in her recovery pen at Necedah.
Photos Colleen Wisinski, ICF

#216 gives the unison call. See how his head is thrown back as he calls. (Click to enlarge.)

Alarm Calling. (Click to enlarge.) Photo Eva Szyszkoski

Crane #216 got a new radio transmitter in October, before fall migration.

Fall 2008: On November 17 crane #216 began migration along with 2008 DAR chicks 31-08,
32-08, 36-08, and 38-08 and roosted that night near Ogle County, Illinois! They were still in northern Illinois as of Dec. 1. On Dec. 5 they arrived in Lawrence County, Tennessee, where they remained. Will #216 lead these young chicks all the way to Florida and teach them the flock's migration route? They were still there, in good crane habitat, in January. Good job, 216!

Spring 2009: Trackers think #216 left on migration with his wintering group of four DAR youngsters, since DAR #31-08 began migration north from Lawrence County, TN on March 17th or 18th. PTT data indicated that he (and probably the four DAR birds) stopped in Gallatin County, IL on March 18 and Rock Island County, IL on March 20. The group likely reached home on the night of March 22, as all were confirmed at Necedah on March 23. Biologists celebrate the fact that all four DAR birds continue to associate with Whooping cranes and not hang out solely with Sandhill cranes. Good job, #216! This male began closely associating with female #716 by March 27 and the two were observed unison calling on that day. But the match did not last and they had parted by mid June.