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OPERATION MIGRATION The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership
Partnership Overview
Since 2001, Operation Migration has led 13 generations of Whooping cranes on their first migration from Wisconsin to Florida
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has supported this work since the beginning and is a founding member of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership
Nine agencies make up the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership
including … US Fish and Wildlife Service
International Crane Foundation
USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The Whooping Crane Recovery Team
Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin
USGS Wildlife Health Center
Operation Migration
Accomplishments
In 2006 a pair of reintroduced Whooping cranes produced
a wild hatched chick
They taught it to migrate along the route we taught
them ....
It was the first Wild hatched, migratory chick in the eastern flyway since
the last nest was reported in 1878
There are now over 100 birds in the Eastern Migratory Population Our target is 125 individuals, including 25 breeding pairs
Partnership ImpactPartnership with NFWF and the Southern Company
supports early imprinting at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center....
Relocation of our equipment from Florida to Wisconsin ....
Summer training...
Migration...
And Winter monitoring.
The Power of Flight has even assisted with the power of flight – by helping with the purchase of aircraft
Indirect Outcomes
This high profile project provided an unprecedented outreach opportunity
Support from NFWF helps fund Journey North
Providing interactive, curriculum based lesson plans for 1.6 million students annually
Lessons Learned
In 2010, we determined that black flies were causing nest abandonment at Necedah NWR, resulting in low productivity
For the 2011 field season, we relocated to a new release site out of the range of black flies
New facilities were constructed in an isolated marsh including a roosting pen and a runway
So far three generations of Whooping cranes have been reintroduced at White River
Looking Forward
Over the last 18 months, WCEP used Population Viability Analysis and a Structure Decision Making process to develop a 5 year strategic plan
Releases will continue in the black fly free area of White River until that flock reaches breeding age.
Additional research will include nest management studies at Necedah to mitigate the black fly issue
and collecting eggs from Wood Buffalo National Park to compare the survival and breeding success of wild stock verses birds raised in captivity for multiple generations.
Since this project began, 14 Whooping cranes have been illegally shot.
Vandal shooting was the cause of death of 6 WCEP birds and it was the suspected cause of 4 others.