Those of us who work directly with the cranes at ICF often are asked how the birds deal with the cold of Wisconsin winters. This year we have had more questions on how the cranes deal with the abnormally high temperatures Wisconsin endured this summer.
In early August, ICF veterinarian Dr. Barry Hartup participated in his third annual research trip to western Canada to band wild Whooping Crane chicks on their remote summering area at Wood Buffalo National Park.
Our scorecard: week one: 1 bird, week two: 10 birds! ICF’s Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Barry Hartup returned earlier this month from a two-week field visit to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Texas to capture and band Whooping Cranes. The researchers successfully banded 11 birds as part of a study to learn more about the movements and health of the western Whooping Crane population.
The cranes that reside in Crane City at ICF underwent their annual health check this past Saturday, October 8th. Not unlike people lining up for immunizations, the cranes lined up for a physical examination, blood sampling, and in some cases, vaccination.
Join Dr. Barry Hartup, ICF’s Director of Veterinary Services, as he participates in an August 2011 expedition to the Whooping Crane’s remote breeding grounds at Wood Buffalo National Park in central Canada.