North America: Research in the Field > Migratory Whooping Crane Reintroduction > Where Are They Now?
Where Are They Now?
Each year since 2001, a new cohort of Whooping Crane chicks are taught the migration route by following the ultralight aircraft during the cranes' first southward migration. There are currently 61 Whooping Cranes in the wild in eastern North America as a result of this reintroduction.
Graduated classes of Whooping Cranes spend much of their time during the summer on or near the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin. They also use state and private lands. It is not unusual for yearling cranes to wander, especially if they are not associating with any male flockmates, which typically select the future breeding territory.
Biologists from the International Crane Foundation (ICF) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) track and monitor the cranes during their fall and spring migrations in an effort to learn as much as possible about their unassisted journeys and the habitat choices they make along the way. ICF and USFWS biologists continue to monitor the birds while the Whooping Cranes are in their summer and winter locations. The Mead Witter Foundation of Wisconsin Rapids provides principal funding for this tracking effort.
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