Eastern Flock
Losses
By Calendar Year
Updated March 17, 2010
*
Includes only deaths of cranes that left Wisconsin as chicks on their
first migration.
| Year | # Lost This Year |
2010 |
1 |
2009 |
11 |
2008 |
8 |
2007 |
36 |
2006 |
5 |
2005 |
9 |
2004 |
3 |
2003 |
1 |
2002 |
2
|
2001 |
2 |
| Details | |
| 2010 | Crane 903 was killed in March of 2010 on the wintering grounds at Chassahowtizka National Wildlife Refuge, likely by a bobcat. |
| 2009 | Crane 217, the famous female in the First Family, was shot to death on fall migration. Her death was discovered December 1, 2009, just 3 days after she'd been detected with her mate in Indiana as they migrated south. Indiana Department of Natural Resources conservation officers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents are investigating. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a minimum reward of $2,500 to the person or people who provide information leading to a conviction. Crane 819 was killed in September of 2009 on Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, likely by coyotes (many coyote footprints in the area). Crane 710 was captured in Wisconsin and removed from the flock June 3, 2009 after it became clear that he was habituated to (used to and comfortable around) people. The team worried that he would attract other birds to the same unsafe behavior so 710 will now live in a zoo. Crane #10-08 (formerly #810) was no longer considered alive in the Eastern flock population totals as of May, 2009, although his death was never confirmed or substantiated by additional evidence. Crane 205, although his death was never confirmed or substantiated by additional evidence, was no longer considered alive in the Eastern flock population totals as of May, 2009. Crane 803 was found dead April 28, 2009, by ICF tracker Eva in Wood County, Wisconsin, likely killed by a bobcat within the previous 24 hours. Crane #420 wintered in Tennessee but died in Chippewa County, Wisconsin soon after completing spring migration. She was found by a road in Chippewa County. No power lines were in the area and her death is being investigated. DAR #37-08 was killed by an alligator in Florida in April 2009. Her remains were discovered during an aerial survey of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park on April 15. She had last been seen alive during a similar survey April 7. The leg with the PTT was traced and recovered on April 16, in an alligator 165 miles away from the kill site. Crane 826 died April 8, 2009, from a leg injury suffered on his first migration north. He was rescued by a landowner and taken for medical help but did not survive. DAR #32-08 was found dead by a local resident near East Bristol in Columbia County, Wisconsin on April 3, 2009, less than 3 weeks after completing her first spring migration. She had been seen alive just a few hours before the carcass was found in the ditch about 10 feet from the edge of a road and about 50 feet from a power distribution line on the other side of the road. An exam will be done to determine cause of death. DAR 40-07 died sometime after November 17, 2008, when she was last observed at her Michigan territory. Her remains and PTT were found on March 9, 2009 by the Michigan landowner on whose property she had been living. |
| 2008 | Crane #202, missing since March 2007, was officially removed from the population in February 2008. The team presumes she has died. DAR #43-07 died March 22, 2008 as a result of a power line collision in Indiana on her first migration north. Crane 714 was killed March 30, 2008, the victim of a predator while on a spring migration stopover. Crane #201, missing since June 2007, was officially removed from the population in July 2008. The team presumes she has died. Crane 735 was alive and well in July 2008, but unable to fly from an injury received during final health checks in Florida after her first migration. She was transported back to Wisconsin in spring, but, unable to fly, removed from the population to a captive breeding center to become a parent bird. Crane #209, who was seen badly limping in May, was officially removed from the population in September 2008. Her mate was on their territory alone, and the team presumes she has died. Crane #102 was found dead October 12 on Necedah NWR after being killed by a predator sometime after mid-July. Crane 721 was found dead soon after arriving in Florida in Dec. 2008 with mate #307. She was found on January 3, 2009, but likely died a week earlier—the last week in December 2008. |
| 2007 |
Crane #204 died in January of 2007 in Florida. Her remains are being examined for cause. Seventeen of the 18 juveniles at the Chassahowitzka NWR pen site died in the early morning of February 2, 2007 as a severe thunderstorm with high winds, resulting high tides and heavy rain, passed through the area: Cranes#601, 602, 604, 605, 606, 607, 608, 610, 611, 612, 613, 614, 618, 619, 620, 622, and 623. DAR #32-06 was killed by a predator (probably bobcat) the end of January, 2007. Her remains were discovered Feb. 6, 2007. Crane #521 died in her wintering area in Citrus County, Florida, between February 9 and 12, 2007. Her remains were discovered Feb. 20, 2007. Bobcat predation is suspected. DAR #26-06 was killed (likely by a predator) on April 13, 2007 at a migration stopover in Indiana. Crane #202 is presumed dead because she did not return with her mate in spring 2007. Crane #523 died in Florida in April, 2007, likey from alligator predation. Crane #615 died April 30 (?) in Florida in the area where he had been since after the Feb. 2 storm that killed all 17 of his other flock mates. Crane #306 was found dead on his Wisconsin territory on July 12, 2007. He was flightless due to molt (loss and regrowth of feathers). His molt was about 80% complete when he was killed by a predator, apparently a large mammal, in a dried marsh in this drought-stricken area. Tracking data indicated that he died on or about July 6. Crane #510 died in Wisconsin in July, 2007, killed by a predator when she was molting and flightless in a drought-stricken wetland. DAR #32-05 died in Wisconsin sometime during the first two weeks in July, 2007, killed by a predator next to a dried-up pond. Crane #502's completely intact body was found August 20, 2007. Experts believe she died on August 16 or 17, before the rains came and the marsh was likely dried up. Her carcass will be given to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center for necropsy to determine cause of death. Crane #407's decomposed but otherwise intact carcass was found on September 13, 2007, in dry sedge marsh at his Wisconsin territory on northeastern Meadow Valley Flowage. Tracking data indicated that death probably occurred during August 29-31. He was last seen alive on August 20, the same date that the carcass of his mate (#502) was retrieved in the same general location. Crane #301 was found dead September 28, 2007 at Necedah. Tracking data indicated that death probably occurred on the night of 25 September, and her carcass was intact. Cause of death is unknown and a necropsy will be performed. DAR#45-07 was killed Oct. by a predator just hours after her release on Necedah NWR. DAR#41-07 was killed Oct. 31, 2007 when he was struck by a small jet at the Dane County Airport in Madison, Wisconsin. DAR #36-07 died Nov. 4, 2007 as a result of a power line collision in Kentucky on his first migration. DAR #43-07 died March 22, 2008 as a result of a power line collision in Indiana on her first migration north. Crane #503 was
missing since May 2007 and not found until April 2008 when
faint radio signals were detected from the territory of her
and mate 507. The remains of both birds were found there
on April 20, 2008. Death had likely occurred shortly after
they were last observed in May 2007. |
| 2006 |
Crane #203 died July 22, 2006 in Wisconsin, the apparent victim of a predator. Crane #208 died Dec. 27, 2006 in Indiana (see photos), from stress-induced myopathy after an apparent powerline strike while at a migration stopover site in Indiana. Crane #302 was found dead July 17, 2006 in Monroe County, WI, likely the victim of a predator. It was the first death of a member of a breeding pair of whooping cranes in the new Eastern flock. Crane #417 died in June 2006, the victim of a Wisconsin predator. Crane #522 died sometime between July and September, 2006. His remains were discovered Oct 28, 2006 when his signal was detected during aerial tracking. |
| 2005 |
Crane #106 was found dead May 3, 2005, likely killed by a predator just after returning to Wisconsin. Crane #214 died Feb. 2005 near the pen in Florida, the apparent victim of a bobcat. Crane #215 was found dead in Alabama on Jan. 3, 2005. Death is under investigation. Crane #304 was found dead Oct. 27, 2005 at Necedah NWR in WI. No signs of trauma. Crane
#418
was killed by a power line collision in Wisconsin in July, 2005. Crane #405 died March 14, 2005, killed by a bobcat while roosting 200 meters from the Florida pen. Crane #515 died September 13, 2005 from colliding with the plane wire during training (before the chicks and ultralights left Wisconsin on migration). Crane #526 died on Day 27 (Nov. 9, 2005) of the southward migration, found dead in the travel pen after a fight with another crane in the pen. |
| 2004 |
Crane #319 was found dead in Michigan in August 2004, likely killed by a coyote. Crane #305 was killed in South Carolina, likely by a bobcat, during 2004 fall migration. Crane #416 died Dec. 11, 2004 of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, one day before arrival at the Florida pen site with her group's ultralight migration. |
| 2003 |
Crane #207 died August 30, 2003 from capture myopathy after being retrieved from South Dakota. |
| 2002 |
Crane #210 was fatally injured when struck by ultralight wing during on first leg of fall migration. He was euthanized on Oct. 25. 2002. Crane #110 was killed by a bobcat at the pen site in Florida in January 2002. |
| 2001 |
Crane #103 died in October 2001 from a power line collision when she escaped in a storm during the ultralight-led journey south. Crane #104 was killed by a bobcat at the pen site in Florida Dec. 17, 2001, shortly after arrival. |
Journey North is pleased to feature this educational
adventure in collaboration with Operation
Migration and the entire Whooping
Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP).
Kids
Orientation
Registration
Search
Copyright
1997-2010 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Questions or comments?
Contact us.
