Yesterday afternoon six more ultralight-led whooping cranes from the Class of 2008 completed their migration back to Wisconsin.  Eva Szyszkoski, ICF Tracking Field Manager, picked up the radio transmitter signals of numbers 5-08, 12-08, 28-08, 29-08, and 30-08 while the birds were in flight over the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge.  The sixth bird, #13-08 is in eastern Wisconsin.

The cranes were part of the group of seven whooping cranes that spent the winter at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.  The seven birds departed the refuge on March 30.  Number 13-08 split off from the group early on during migration.  The larger group of six cranes remained together during migration.  One of the birds, #26-08, unfortunately died during the return migration.  He died at the University of Illinois Veterinary Clinic on April 8 after suffering multiple fractures of his leg. 

The remaining group of five whooping cranes that returned to the Necedah NWR area yesterday had previously been located in LaSalle County, Illinois, where they were confirmed on the morning of April 14.  Amazingly, the woman who reported the cranes, Diana Rod, is the mother of one of ICF’s staff members.  Talk about a small world!

Update by Joan Garland, ICF Education Outreach Coordinator/WCEP Communications & Outreach Team Co-chair.  Report provided by Sara Zimorski, ICF Aviculturist/WCEP Tracking & Winter Management Team Co-chair.