About the Whooping Crane Eastern Flock Meet the Cranes The Eastern migratory flock is the newest flock of the world's endangered Whooping Cranes. The new flock was begun in 2001 with captive-bred chicks carefully raised by costumed humans with crane puppets. As of January 2009, there were 87 whoopers in the Eastern flock. You can read the life history of each crane in the entire flock. This includes the flock's very first wild-hatched chick, which will be 3 years old in 2009. Every Whooping Crane in the new Eastern flock is a relative from the 15 Whooping Cranes that survived in the Western flock in the 1940s. The Eastern flock is a reintroduced flock, not a natural flock. The Eastern flock is being brought back (reintroduced) with human help to areas where it lived long ago—before the Whooping Cranes in that area all died out. Each year, more captive-bred baby Whooping Cranes are added to the flock. The babies come from eggs laid by Whooping Cranes in captivity. The baby chicks are taught by "parents" who actually are humans hiding under costumes and using "Whooping Crane puppets." These humans are Whooping Crane experts. They raise the chicks by a strict set of rules (a protocol) so the little birds grow up acting like Whooping Cranes. The Eastern flock should get larger each year even though some cranes in the flock do not survive. You can see how well the flock is doing on the population graph below. (Note the graph's date. Find latest details.) Wintering Grounds: Florida, United States: The Eastern flock spends the winter at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge ("Chass") on the Florida Gulf Coast. The nearest town is Crystal River, Florida (28N, 82W). NOTE: As they get older, some cranes may disperse into surrounding areas or nearby states. Nesting Grounds: Wisconsin, United States: The Eastern flock spends the summer nesting season Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin. The nearest town is Necedah, Wisconsin (44N, 90W). Migration: The birds migrate about 1,250 miles between Florida and Wisconsin. They follow an ultralight plane on their first fall migration. They travel alone—without human help—on their first spring migration. Each year up to 20 chosen chicks for this new flock learn to fly by training with ultralight airplanes and pilots in costume. They follow these ultralight airplanes (with the organization called Operation Migration) on their very first southward migration in order to learn their migration route. After that, the young cranes are wild and free. These ultralight-led birds will remember the migration route and fly it for the rest of their lives. Each fall starting in 2005, a small, special group of new chicks is released in autumn near older Whooping Cranes in hopes they'll follow the experienced birds to Florida. That's how these chicks will learn their migration route. After that, these direct autumn release birds (DAR birds) will know the migration route and fly it for the rest of their lives. Try This! Compare the Two Flocks: Journaling Questions Whooping Crane Comeback How many cranes are in the Eastern Flock today? (Click graph to enlarge.) This Season Teachers Kids Orientation Registration Search Copyright 1997-2009 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Questions or comments? Contact us.